By 
LOUISE  ARNOLD 


JlO/EI\  BURDETT  &>  COMPANY 

'/          ^V  "I        PUB? 


r  v 


Edueation  Department 


LEARNING  TO  READ 


SUGGESTIONS    TO    TEACHERS   OF 
YOUNG   CHILDREN 


BY 


SARAH     LOUISE    ARNOLD 
// 

SUPERVISOR     OF     SCHOOLS,     BOSTON,     MASS.;     AUTHOR     OK 

"STEPPING  STONES  TO  LITERATURE,"  "WAYMARKS,"  ETC. 


SILVER,    BURDETT    AND    COMPANY 

NEW  YORK   .  .  .   BOSTON    .    .    .    CHICAGO 

1899 


g  Atones  to  literature* 


A  UNIQUE   SEEIES   OF  EIGHT  KEADEKS  UPON  A  NEW  PLAN, 

By  SARAH    LOUISE   ARNOLD,  Supervisor  of  Boston   Schools, 
and  CHARLES  B.  GILBERT,  Superintendent  of  Newark  Schools. 


A   FIRST   READER  (128  pp.,  over  130  illustrations,  including  8  color  pages,  reproductions  of 
masterpieces,  and  choice  text  cuts).     Price,  30  cents. 

A   SECOND   READER  (160  pp.;  over  100  illustrations,  including  8  color  pages,  reproductions 
of  famous  paintings  and  choice  originals).     Price,  40  cents. 

A   THIRD   READER  (224  pp..  illustrated  with  reproductions  of  famous  paintings,  portraits  of 
authors,  and  choice  original  cuts).     Price,  50  cents. 

A   FOURTH   READER  (320   pp.,  illustrated  with  reproductions  of  masterpieces,  portraits  of 
authors,  and  appropriate  originals).      Price.  60  cents. 

A    READER    FOR    FIFTH    GRADES    (320    pp..  illustrated  with   reproductions  of   famous 
paintings,  and  with  numerous  original  cuts).     Price,  60  cents. 

A   READER    FOR   SIXTH    GRADES  (320  pp.,  with  illustrations  from  original  drawings  and 
famous  paintings,  and  containing  an  unusual  number  of  spirited  poems).     Price,  60  cents. 

A  READER   FOR    SEVENTH   GRADES  (320  pp.,  illustrated  with  portraits  of  authors  and 
their  homes,  etc.,  and  devoted  to  American  literature).     Price,  60  cents. 

A   READER    FOR   HIGHER   GRADES    (336   pp.,  illustrated  with    originals,   portraits,  and 
fine  reproductions,  and  devoted  to  English  literature).     Price,  60  cents. 

SILVER,  BURDETT  AND  COMPANY,  Publishers, 

BOSTON.  NEW   YORK.  CHICAGO. 


(Slu 


Copyright,  1899, 
BY  SILVER,  BURDETT  AND  COMPANY. 


JJlimptou  JJtrss 

H.  M.  PLIMPTON   &   CO.,   PRINTERS  &   BINDERS, 
NORWOOD.   MASS.,  U.S.A. 


GREETING. 

To  Teachers  of  Little  Children: 

This  little  book  is  an  outcome  of  schoolroom  experience,  and  its 
"  excuse  for  being  "  arises  from  an  earnest  desire  to  lend  a  hand 
to  fellow-workers  in  a  common  cause.  No  sleight-of-hand  or  trick 
of  the  trade  can  serve  as  a  patent  and  all-sicfficient  device  in  teach- 
ing reading.  Hard  work  and  ready  wit,  together  with  knowledge 
of  child-life  and  love  of  teaching,  —  these  must  make  the  way  to 
success.  But  a  study  of  the  experience  of  others  may  throw  some 
light  on  the  path  of  the  young  learner,  —  a  path  difficult  enough 
at  best  in  the  early  days.  These  hints  and  suggestions  will  fulfil 
their  mission  if  they  serve,  even  in  slight  degree,  to  answer  the 
questions  and  solve  the  problems  of  the  young  teacher,  whose  privi- 
lege it  is  to  lead  her  children  into  the  Promised  Land  of  Books. 

o  J 

These  pages  are  written  in  such  hope,  and  go  forth  with  cordial 
greeting  to  all  whom  they  can  serve. 

SARAH  LOUISE  ARNOLD. 


548S49 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

LETTER  TO  TEACHERS 3 

CHAPTER 

j.    How  I  LEARNED  TO  READ.     Hugh  Miller 7 

II.    THE  ART  OF  READING 13 

III.  THE  FIRST  YEAR  IN  READING 31 

IV.  LANGUAGE  LESSONS,  AS  AN  AID  TO  READING 67 

V.   ILLUSTRATIVE  LESSONS       77 

The  Cow.     First  Grade 77 

The  Oak.     First  Grade     .     . 81 

The  Blacksmith,     Second  Grade ,     .  83 

The  Rain.     Second  Grade .84 

Bird  Life-.     First  Grade 86 

The  Builders.     Third  Grade 88 

Little  Bell.     Third  Grade  90 


LEARNING  TO  READ 

CHAPTER  I. 
HOW  I  LEARNED  TO  READ. 

From  "  My  Schools  and  Schoolmasters."  —  HUGH  MILLER. 

1HAD  been  sent,  previous  to  my  father's  death,  to  a  dame's  school, 
where  I  was  taught  to  pronounce  my  letters  to  such  effect  in  the 
old  Scottish  mode,  that  still,  when  I  attempt  spelling  a  word  aloud, 
which  is  not  often,  —  for  I  find  the  process  a  perilous  one,  —  the  aa's, 
and  ee's,  and  uh's,  and  raw's,  return  upon  me,  and  I  have  to  translate 
them,  with  no  little  hesitation  as  I  go  along,  into  the  more  modish 
sounds.  A  knowledge  of  the  letters  themselves  I  had  already  ac- 
quired by  studying  the  signposts  of  the  place,  —  rare  works  of  art, 
that  excited  my  utmost  admiration,  with  jugs,  and  glasses,  and  bottles, 
and  ships,  and  loaves  of  bread  upon  them ;  all  of  which  could,  as  the 
artist  intended,  be  actually  recognized.  During  my  sixth  year,  I  spelt 
my  way,  under  the  dame,  through  the  Shorter  Catechism,  the  Proverbs, 
and  the  New  Testament,  and  then  entered  upon  her  highest  form,  as  a 
member  of  the  Bible  Class ;  but  all  the  while,  the  process  of  acquiring 
learning  had  been  a  dark  one,  which  I  slowly  mastered,  in  humble  con- 
f  dence  in  the  awful  wisdom  of  the  schoolmistress,  not  knowing  whither 
it  tended,  —  when  at  once  my  mind  awoke  to  the  meaning  of  that  most 
delightful  of  all  narratives,  the  story  of  Joseph.  Was  there  ever 
such  a  discovery  made  before  !  I  actually  found  out  for  myself,  that 
the  art  of  reading  is  the  art  of  finding  stories  in  books,  and  from  that 
moment  reading  became  one  of  the  most  delightful  of  my  amusements. 


LEARNING  TO   READ. 


I  began  by  getting  into  a  corner  at  the  dismissal  of  the  school,  and 
there  conning  over  to  myself  the  new-found  story  of  Joseph ;  nor  did 
one  perusal  serve  ;  the  other  Scripture  stories  followed,  —  in  especial, 
the  story  of  Samson  and  the  Philistines,  of  David  and  Goliath,  of  the 
prophets  Elijah  and  Elisha ;  and  after  that  came  the  New  Testament 
stories  and  parables.  Assisted  by  my  uncles,  I  began  to  collect  a  library 
in  a  box  of  birch-bark  about  nine  inches  square,  which  I  found  quite 
large  enough  to  contain  a  great  many  immortal  works,  —  "  Jack 
the  Giant-killer,"  and  "Jack  and  the  Bean-Stalk,"  and  the  " Yellow 
Dwarf,"  and  "  Blue  Beard,"  and  "  Sinbad  the  Sailor,"  and  "  Beauty  and 
the  Beast,"  and  "  Aladdin  and  the  Wonderful  Lamp,"  with  several 
other  of  resembling  character. 

Those  intolerable  nuisances,  the  useful-knowledge  books,  had  not 
yet  arisen,  like  tenebrious  stars,  on  the  educational  horizon,  to  darken 
the  world,  and  shed  their  blighting  influence  on  the  opening  intellect 
of  the  "  youthhood  "  ;  and  so,  from  my  rudimental  books  —  books  that 
made  themselves  truly  such  by  their  thorough  assimilation  with  the 
rudimental  mind  —  I  passed  on,  without  being  conscious  of  break  or 
line  of  division,  to  books  on  which  the  learned  are  content  to  write 
commentaries  and  dissertations,  but  which  I  found  to  be  quite  as  nice 
children's  books  as  any  of  the  others.  Old  Homer  wrote  admirably 
for  little  folk,  especially  in  the  "  Odyssey " ;  a  copy  of  which,  in  the 
only  true  translation  extant,  —  for,  judging  from  its  surpassing  interest 
and  the  wrath  of  critics,  such  I  hold  that  of  Pope  to  be,  —  I  found  in 
the  house  of  a  neighbor.  Next  came  the  "  Iliad  "  ;  not,  however,  in  a 
complete  copy,  but  represented  by  four  of  the  six  volumes  of  Bernard 
Lintot.  With  what  power,  and  at  how  early  an  age,  true  genius  im- 
presses !  I  saw,  even  at  this  immature  period,  that  no  writer  could 
cast  a  javelin  with  half  the  force  of  Homer.  The  missiles  went  whiz- 
zing athwart  his  pages ;  and  I  could  see  the  momentary  gleam  of  the 
steel,  ere  it  buried  itself  deep  in  brass  and  bull-hide.  I  next  suc- 
ceeded in  discovering  for  myself  a  child's  book,  of  not  less  interest 
than  even  the  "  Iliad,"  which  might,  I  was  told,  be  read  on  Sabbaths, 


HOW  I    LEARNED   TO   READ. 


in  a  magnificent  old  edition  of  "  Pilgrim's  Progress,"  printed  on  coarse, 
whity-brown  paper,  and  charged  with  numerous  woodcuts,  each  of 
which  occupied  an  entire  page,  that,  on  principles  of  economy,  bore 
letterpress  on  the  other  side.  And  such  delightful  prints  as  these  were  ! 
It  must  have  been  some  such  volume  that  sat  for  its  portrait  to  Words- 
worth, and  which  he  so  exquisitely  describes  as 

"  Profuse  in  garniture  of  wooden  cuts, 
Strange  and  uncouth  ;  dire  faces,  figures  dire, 
Sharp-kneed,  sharp-elbowed,  and  lean-ankled,  too, 
With  long  and  ghastly  shanks,  —  forms,  which,  once  seen, 
Could  never  be  forgotten." 

In  process  of  time,  I  had  devoured,  besides  these  genial  works, 
"  Robinson  Crusoe,"  "  Gulliver's  Travels,"  "  Ambrose  on  Angels,"  the 
judgment  chapter  in  Howie's  "  Scotch  Worthies,"  Byron's  "  Narrative," 
and  the  "  Adventures  of  Philip  Quarll,"  with  a  good  many  other  adven- 
tures and  voyages,  real  and  fictitious,  part  of  a  very  miscellaneous  collec- 
tion of  books  made  by  my  father.  It  was  a  melancholy  little  library  to 
which  I  had  fallen  heir.  Most  of  the  missing  volumes  had  been  with 
the  master  aboard  the  vessel  when  he  perished.  Of  an  early  edition 
of  Cook's  "Voyages,"  all  the  volumes  were  now  absent  save  the 
first  ;  and  a  very  tantalizing  romance  in  four  volumes,  Mrs.  Ratcliff's 
"Mysteries  of  Udolpho,"  was  represented  by  only  the  earlier  two. 
Small  as  the  collection  was  it  contained  some  rare  books,  —  among  the 
rest,  a  curious  little  volume  entitled,  "The  Miracles  of  Nature  and 
Art,"  to  which  we  find  Dr.  Johnson  referring  in  one  of  the  dialogues 
chronicled  by  Bos  well,  as  scarce  even  in  his  day,  and  which  had  been 
published,  he  said,  some  time  in  the  seventeenth  century  by  a  bookseller 
whose  shop  hung  perched  on  Old  London  Bridge,  between  sky  and 
water.  It  contained,  too,  the  only  copy  I  ever  saw  of  the  "  Memoirs  of 
a  Protestant  condemned  to  the  Galleys  of  France  for  his  Religion,"  — 
a  work  interesting  from  the  circumstance  that,  though  it  bore  another 
name  on  its  title-page,  it  had  been  translated  from  the  French  for  a  few 
guineas  by  poor  Goldsmith  in  his  days  of  obscure  literary  drudgery, 


10  LEARNING  TO   READ. 

and  exhibited  the  peculiar  excellences  of  his  style.  The  collection 
boasted  beside,  of  a  very  curious  old  book,  illustrated  by  very  uncouth 
plates,  that  detailed  the  perils  and  sufferings  of  an  English  sailor  who 
had  spent  his  best  years  of  life  as  a  slave  in  Morocco.  It  had  its 
volumes  of  sound  theology,  too,  and  of  stiff  controversy,  —  Flavel's 
"Works,"  and  Henry's  "Commentary,"  and  Hutchinson  on  the  "Lesser 
Prophets,"  and  a  very  old  treatise  on  the  "  Revelation,"  with  the  title- 
page  away,  and  blind  Jameson's  volume  on  the  "  Hierarchy,"  with  first 
editions  of  "Naphthali,"  "  The  Cloud  of  Witnesses,"  and  "  The  Hind  let 
Loose."  But  with  these  solid  authors  I  did  not  venture  to  grapple 
until  long  after  this  time.  Of  the  works  of  fact  and  incident  which  it 
contained,  those  of  the  voyagers  were  my  especial  favorites.  I  perused 
with  avidity  the  voyages  of  Anson,  Drake,  Raleigh,  Dampier,  and 
Captain  Woods  Rogers,  and  my  mind  became  so  filled  with  concep- 
tions of  what  was  to  be  seen  and  done  in  foreign  parts,  that  I  wished 
myself  big  enough  to  be  a  sailor,  that  I  might  go  and  see  coral  islands 
and  burning  mountains,  and  hunt  wild  beasts  and  fight  battles. 


PART  1. 
THE  ART   OF  READING. 


CHAPTER  II. 
THE   ART   OP   READING.1 

BEFORE  planning  her  lessons  in  reading,  the  teacher  will  do  well 
to  review  her  own  experience  in  reading,  or  to  scan  the  diffi- 
culties which  she  has  encountered  in  teaching  other  classes.  A  brief 
analysis  of  her  experiences,  both  as  a  pupil  and  as  a  teacher,  will 
reveal  distinct  lines  of  achievement  in  learning  to  read.  These  are 
illustrated  in  any  act  of  reading. 

"  The  old  familiar  sights  of  ours 
Took  marvelous  shapes.     Strange  domes  and  towers 
Rose  up  where  sty  and  corn  crib  stood, 
Or  garden  wall,  or  belt  of  wood. 
The  bridle  post  an  old  man  sat, 
With  loose-flung  coat  and  high-cocked  hat. 
The  wellcurb  had  a  Chinese  roof, 
And  even  the  tall  sweep,  high  aloof, 
In  its  slant  splendor  seemed  to  tell 
Of  Pisa's  leaning  miracle." 

To  read,  —  that  is,  to  get  the  meaning  of  these  lines,  or,  if  one 
reads  aloud,  to  get  and  to  give  the  meaning.  One  who  truly  reads 
"  Snow-Bound "  learns  to  see  the  scenes  which  Whittier  so  beauti- 
fully describes  ;  to  see  them  as  he  saw  them,  with  tender  affection, 
and  to  interpret  the  deeper  meaning  of  the  lines  of  "  homely  toil  and 
destiny  obscure."  Manifestly  this  involves  much.  On  the  surface, 
and  first  attracting  the  attention  of  the  teacher,  appears  the  obvious 

1  From  "  Reading  :  How  to  Teach  It."  —  S.  L.  A. 


14  LEARNING  TO   READ. 

necessity  of  knowing  the  words  at  sight.  Familiarity  with  the  forms 
of  the  words  used  is  indispensable  to  reading.  This  involves  know- 
ing the  sounds  of  the  words,  while  the  power  to  pronounce  new  words 
readily  calls  for  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  English  pronunciation. 

In  the  minds  of  too  many  teachers  of  little  children,  such  mastery 
of  word  pronunciation  is  held  as  reading.  But  this  is  a  grievous  error, 
which  leads  to  narrow  and  mechanical  work,  and  obscures  the  high 
purpose  of  real  reading.  Reference  to  the  definition  of  reading,  and 
a  study  of  the  selection  from  "  Snow-Bound,"  will  show  us  the  proper 
value  of  this  achievement,  and  its  relation  to  true  reading.  The  words 
are  the  vehicle  of  thought,  a  means  to  an  end.  Their  mastery  is  in- 
dispensable to  reading,  but  the  reader  must  compass,  not  the  single 
word-speaking,  but  the  meaning  of  the  related  words  which  express 
the  author's  thought.  Knowledge  of  the  meaning  of  the  words  used, 
and  especially  the  meaning  of  the  words  as  Whittier  uses  them,  is 
necessary  to  a  clear  understanding  of  the  poem.  The  reader  who  would 
understand  the  poem  must  know  something  of  farm  life  —  the  sty  and 
the  corncrib,  the  garden  wall,  the  wellcurb,  the  sweep,  and  the  other 
accessories  of  the  farm  which  Whittier  names  or  describes.  Plainly, 
too,  his  knowledge  must  extend  further  —  to  a  Chinese  roof,  and  Pisa's 
leaning  miracle.  To  such  knowledge,  observation  of  common  life  must 
minister,  coupled  with  the  study  of  books  and  pictures.  In  other 
words,  the  reader  interprets  Whittier's  "  Snow-Bound "  by  virtue  of 
his  own  experience,  reenforced  by  the  experience  of  others  as  written 
down  in  books,  or  pictured  with  brush  or  pen.  To  the  formal  word 
mastery,  then,  must  be  added  study  of  the  meaning  of  new  words,  or 
recalling  such  experience  as  explains  the  old.  The  content,  as  well  as 
the  form,  of  the  word  must  be  studied. 

Added  to  such  study,  is  the  general  training  which  gives  us  power 
to  picture  the  unknown,  interpreting  a  new  scene  through  its  relation 
to  our  old  experience.  The  ready  and  trained  imagination  easily 


THE   ART    OF    READING  15 

pictures  the  scene  which  the  words  conjure  before  the  mind  —  makes 
real  the  homestead,  snowbound  and  comfort  filled.  Reading  may  be 
so  taught  as  to  develop  this  power,  which  takes  hold  on  things  un- 
seen. No  careful  teaching  of  reading  omits  this. 

Here  then  are  different  phases  of  teaching  reading :  —  mastery  of 
the  words,  as  to  form  and  sound;  explanation  of  the  meaning  of  new 
words,  through  observation  or  reading ;  lessons  which  tend  to  develop 
power  of  imagination. 

The  young  child,  who  leaves  his  home  and  his  play  to  enter  upon 
the  life  of  the  schoolroom,  finds  a  new  world  awaiting  him,  with  mani- 
fold new  experiences.  Hitherto  he  has  romped  and  rambled  to  his 
heart's  content.  All  his  friends  and  playmates  have  in  turn  been  his 
teachers,  albeit  theirs  has  been  an  unconscious  tuition.  His  lessons 
have  been  in  the  line  of  his  desires,  or  suggested  by  his  natural  en- 
vironment. Longfellow  pictures  the  little  Hiawatha  in  the  arms  of 
his  first  teacher,  the  loving  old  Nokomis  — 

"  At  the  door  on  Summer  evenings 
Sat  the  little  Hiawatha, 
Heard  the  whispering  of  the  pine  trees, 
Heard  the  lapping  of  the  water  — 
Sounds  of  music,  words  of  wonder  ;  — 
Saw  the  moon  rise  from  the  water, 
Rippling,  rounding  from  the  water, 
Saw  the  flecks  and  shadows  on  it, 
Whispered,  *  What  is  that,  Nokomis  ? ' 
And  the  good  Nokomis  answered  —  " 

The  moon,  the  rainbow  in  the  heaven,  the  Milky  Way,  the  firefly,  the 
owl  and  owlet,  the  beaver,  the  rabbit,  the  squirrel  —  these  saluted  the 
baby  boy,  and  awakened  his  interest.  "What  is  that?"  he  cried, 
with  eager  question.  "  And  the  good  Nokomis  answered."  The  little 


16 


LEARNING  TO   READ. 


Hiawatha  "  learned  of  every  bird  its  language."     He  was  taught,  not 
by  old  Nokomis  alone,  but  by  bird  and  beast,  flower  and  field. 

So  with  every  child  who  enters  the  schoolroom  upon  that  fateful 
first  Monday  in  September.  He  brings  with  him,  not  an  empty  head, 
but  a  mind  stored  with  the  memories  of  varied  experiences.  Just  as 
the  little  Hiawatha  gazed,  pondered,  questioned,  learned  —  so  this  child 
has  seen,  has  heard,  has  questioned,  has  thought,  has  acted.  What 
he  brings  to  school,  who  can  tell?  What  has  he  seen  and  heard? 
What  has  he  liked  and  desired  ?  What  has  he  questioned  and  learned  ? 
How  little  we  know  of  this  unwritten  history !  And  yet  it  determines 
the  net  result  of  all  our  teaching.  For  nothing  which  we  attempt 
to  teach  finds  lodgment  in  the  child  mind  unless  it  is  linked  with  some 
past  experience,  and  awakens  actual  interest.  Much  of  our  reiterated 
instruction  falls  upon  deaf  ears,  fails  utterly  to  awaken  the  dormant 
interest,  because  it  is  ill  chosen.  We  must  know  something  about  the 
life  of  the  children  before  we  can  wisely  teach  them. 

The  thoughtful  teacher  remembers  this  truth  and  directs  her  work 
accordingly.  Instead  of  rushing  with  headlong  zeal  into  the  routine 
of  reading,  writing,  and  number  —  under  the  impulsion  of  the  Course 
of  Study,  and  the  memory  of  classes  which  failed  to  "pass"  —  she 
makes  haste  slowly,  and  devotes  the  first  days  of  the  term  to  lessons 
which  help  to  reveal  the  experience  of  the  children.  Observation  of 
and  talks  about  common  things  ;  conversations  which  lead  the  children 
to  tell  what  they  can  do,  or  like  to  do  ;  story  telling ;  picture  drawing ; 
—  these  afford  opportunity  for  expression,  and  serve  to  show  the 
teacher  something  of  her  pupils'  attainments,  and  the  line  of  their 
interests  as  well.  Meanwhile,  they  are  becoming  accustomed  to  the 
schoolroom  routine,  and  so  emerge  from  the  period  in  which  they  gazed, 
dazed  and  dumb,  at  the  many  marvels  with  which  this  new  school  | 
world  is  crowded.  They  come  to  know  the  teacher  as  their  friend, 
and  they  become  free  and  confident  in  her  presence.  Thus  the  true 


THE   ART    OF    READING.  17 

atmosphere   of   the  schoolroom    is  created  —  the  only  atmosphere    in 
which  wholesome  and  natural  teaching  and  learning  can  thrive. 

This  is  not  a  prodigal  misuse  of  time.  It  is  the  part  of  thrift 
to  so  spend  in  the  beginning,  for  the  returns  are  evident  in  the  ease 
and  readiness  with  which  pupils  and  teacher  afterward  work  together 
—  the  value  of  every  lesson  being  enhanced  by  the  mutual  good  will 
and  understanding. 


The  school  differs  from  the  home  and  the  kindergarten  in  that  its 
allotted  tasks  are  evidently  determined  by  a  motive  and  plan  outside 
the  child's  comprehension.  In  many  cases  this  must  be  so.  The 
lessons  which  involve  the  mastery  of  the  symbols  used  in  reading, 
writing  and  number,  or  the  drill  and  practice  necessary  to  attain  skill 
in  music  or  drawing  or  writing,  have  no  self-evident  goal  for  the  child. 
So  many  lines,  so  many  letters,  so  many  problems,  he  attempts,  because 
the  teacher  says  so,  and  in  his  new  universe  the  teacher  is  supreme. 
At  home  he  has  always  chosen  more  or  less ;  so,  too,  in  the  kinder- 
garten his  interest  and  choice  determined  the  story  or  the  game  or 
the  topic  of  conversation.  He  has  delighted  in  building  houses,  model- 
ing balls,  weaving  mats,  playing  games  —  and  all,  so  far  as  he  knew, 
for  his  own  immediate  pleasure  and  accomplishment.  Other  results, 
to  him  unknown,  were  of  course  secured.  He  builded  better  than 
he  knew.  But  in  every  case  he  rejoiced  in  some  immediate  accom- 
plishment which  he  desired. 

In  too  many  cases  the  decreed  exercises  of  the  school  are  meaning- 
less and  purposeless  to  the  beginner.  Such  exercises  easily  degenerate 
into  dull  and  fruitless  routine,  indifferent  and  profitless  to  teacher  and 
pupil  alike.  To  arouse  desire  and  awaken  conscious  motive  is  the 
teacher's  most  important  work,  and  in  teaching  reading  it  should  re- 
ceive first  consideration.  She,  therefore,  after  securing  such  freedom 

2 


18  LEARNING   TO   READ. 

and  cooperation  as  promise  a  fertile  soil  for  her  seed-planting,  calls 
the  children  about  her  to  explain  the  purpose  of  the  lessons  which  will 
fill  their  days. 

Perhaps  she  reads  to  them  a  story  which  they  like,  a  new  story  which 
they  have  never  heard.  When  she  reaches  the  interesting  climax  she 
pauses  to  say,  "  I  haven't  time  to  read  the  rest  of  the  story  now.  How 
I  wish  you  could  read !  Then  you  might  take  the  book  and  read  the 
story  yourselves.  Would  you  not  like  to  learn  to  read,  so  that  you 
-could  read  stories  like  these  ?  " 

In  Hugh  Miller's  graphic  description  of  his  childhood  experience  in 
reading,  this  element  of  purpose  and  desire  is  strongly  emphasized. 
"  The  process  of  learning  and  acquiring  had  been  a  dark  one,"  he  says, 
recalling  his  struggles  with  letters  and  syllables.  He  "slowly  mas- 
tered "  these  "  in  humble  confidence  in  the  awful  wisdom  of  the  school- 
mistress, not  knowing  whither  it  tended,"  -  -  when  (as  a  member  of  the 
Bible  Class  —  "in  the  highest  form  ")  his  mind  "  awoke  to  the  meaning 
of  that  most  delightful  of  all  narratives,  the  story  of  Joseph.  Was  there 
ever  such  a  discovery  made  before  ?  " 

Such  testimony  might  be  repeated  a  thousand  times  over,  by  our  pu- 
pils of  to-day  —  if  they  were  able  to  describe  their  common  experience. 

It  was  the  first  vision  of  the  goal  that  gave  meaning,  motive,  and 
conscious  gladness  to  Hugh  Miller's  study.  Such  motive  and  such 
meaning  should  pervade  the  earliest  lessons  in  reading,  and  should  be 
consciously  recognized  by  pupil  as  well  as  teacher.  We  repeat  then : 
the  teacher's  first  effort,  after  becoming  acquainted  with  her  children, 
is  to  awaken  this  conscious  desire  to  read,  and  to  secure  intelligent 
cooperation  in  her  exercises. 

One  teacher  suggests  writing  upon  the  board  some  sentence  which 
has  been  whispered  to  her  by  the  children,  and  then  calling  an  older 
child  from  another  room  to  read  the  secret.  This  is  done  again  and 
again,  until  the  children  are  eager  to  share  the  power  which  their  com- 


THE   ART    OF    READING.  19 

rade  possesses,  and  turn  gladly  to  the  tasks  required  of  them,  that  they 
may  the  sooner  reach  their  goal. 

There  is  a  wide  difference  between  such  teaching  and  the  routine 
drill  which  does  not  enlist  the  child's  desire.  The  enthusiastic  bicy- 
clist would  smile  if  asked  to  exchange  his  morning  ride  to  the  city  for 
an  hour's  exercise  upon  a  fixed  "  bicycle  exerciser "  in  the  back  hall. 
Nor  could  the  most  skilful  pedagogue  convince  him  that  the  exercise 
involved  in  making  the  wheel  go  round  is  as  valuable  as  the  spin  which 
carries  him  to  his  destination,  through  the  fresh  morning  air,  along 
roads  bordered  with  flowered  fields.  Yet  the  contrast  is  no  more 
marked  than  that  between  the  task  of  the  syllable-pronouncer,  who 
obediently  performs  his  meaningless  labor,  and  that  of  the  child  who, 
with  conscious  and  earnest  desire,  sets  himself  to  learn  to  read. 

In  order  to  give  some  sense  of  immediate  achievement,  the  first 
lessons  should  be  in  sentences,  expressing  thoughts  in  which  the  chil- 
dren are  interested. 

This  is  Kate.  Kate  has  a  doll. 

Kate  can  read.  I  have  a  doll,  too. 

Kate  has  a  book.  Kate  has  a  kitty. 

Read  to  ine,  Kate.  I  have  a  dog. 

Kate  can  read.  Kate  likes  her  doll. 

I  can  read,  too.  I  like  my  dog. 

Kate  has  a  book.  See  my  dog ! 

I  have  a  book,  too.  See  Kate's  little  kitty  ! 

See  Kate's  book !  Come,  little  Kitty. 

See  my  book !  Come  to  me,  Kitty. 


20  LEARNING  TO  READ. 


The  object  of  these  preparatory  lessons  is  to  give  some  consciousness 
of  the  purpose  of  reading,  and  some  sense  of  achievement.  The  sen- 
tences are  the  children's,  obtained  in  a  conversation  concerning  Kate, 
who  is  an  older  pupil,  or  some  pictured  child.  The  sentence  is  the 
unit,  and  is  read  by  the  teacher.  The  children  repeat  the  sentence 
after  her  reading. 

Of  course  these  first  efforts  are  not  reading.  They  simply  represent 
the  children's  memory  of  the  teacher's  words  and  tone.  Often,  when 
asked  to  read  alone,  the  child  dashes  at  the  wrong  sentence  with  his 
pointer,  which  vainly  wanders  in  search  of  the  right  one.  But  just  as 
the  frequent  observation  of  the  loved  story  in  the  picture  book  not  only 
fixes  the  words  in  their  order,  but  enables  the  young  listener  to  find 
some  of  them  upon  the  page,  so,  by  repetition  of  these  first  sentences, 
the  words  are  at  last  held  in  the  mind,  and  are  recognized  in  new  places 
and  under  new  relations.  The  attentive  eye  will  recognize  the  new 
words,  first  in  their  wonted  place  in  the  sentence,  then  when  isolated. 
At  first  the  words  selected  for  repetition  and  recognition  are  those  which 
present  fewest  difficulties.  Not  by  any  means  the  shortest  words  —  as 
a,  is,  too  —  but  the  meaningful  words,  the  nouns,  and  adjectives,  and 
verbs  which  denote  action.  Kate,  book,  doll,  dog,  kitty  —  these  are 
the  first  and  easiest,  in  the  lessons  written  above.  Later,  see  and  likes, 
with  can  read.  Later  still,  I  have,  this  is  —  while  is  and  a  will  not 
be  emphasized  as  units  until  the  eyes  have  been  trained  to  distinguish 
more  readily,  and  the  words  have  become  familiar  through  constant 
repetition. 

Such  lessons  should  continue  for  several  weeks,  introducing  the 
various  dear  and  oft-seen  objects  of  the  child's  environment,  and  the 
actions  with  which  he  has  long  been  familiar.  The  sentences  should  be 
worth  reading,  and  grouped  in  coherent  paragraphs.  Drill  in  recog- 
nizing the  words  should  follow  the  sentence  reading,  in  every  day's 
lesson. 


THE   ART   OF    READING.  21 

When  the  children  can  recognize  at  sight  a  vocabulary  of  one  hundred 
or  two  hundred  words,  they  should  begin  to  compare  them,  and  to  place 
in  groups  those  which  are  alike  in  sound.  For  example :  book,  look, 
and  brook,  are  known,  —  red  and  fed,  cat,  hat,  and  pat  —  Fan,  ran, 
can,  and  Dan.  Placed  in  lists,  their  similarity  is  evident. 

book  fed  cat  Fan 

look  red  hat  ran 

brook  pat  can 

Dan 
took  bed  sat  man 

Some  one  volunteers  to  increase  the  list,  adding  took,  bed,  sat,  and 
man.  Here  is  the  beginning  of  the  analysis  of  words  into  their  sounds, 
and  with  this  lesson  a  new  feature  appears  in  our  word  study. 

Such  lessons  in  sentence  reading  as  have  been  suggested,  if  continued 
long  enough  and  with  sufficient  discretion  on  the  part  of  the  teacher, 
might  enable  a  class  to  read  independently  —  for,  even  without  the 
teacher's  direction,  obvious  likenesses  and  differences  in  words  are 
noted  by  the  children,  and  rules  are  deduced  therefrom.  But  the 
mastery  of  a  large  vocabulary  is  readily  secured  only  through  attention 
to  the  common  laws  of  pronunciation,  and  familiarity  with  the  sound 
units.  Thus  far  every  word  has  been  presented  as  a  new  unit.  Now 
the  children  should  learn  that  these  words  are  like  many  others  in  form, 
and  that  the  pronunciation  of  one  serves  as  a  key  to  the  many.  Know- 
ing book,  all  monosyllables  ending  in  ooJc  can  at  once  enter  their  vocab- 
ulary of  recognizable  words ;  knowing  Fan,  all  monosyllables  with  the 
an  ending  are  known.  The  missing  factor  is  the  knowledge  of  the 
sounds  of  the  separate  letters,  which  are  initials  in  these  group  words  — 
m— an  F— an  c— an  r-an  t— an  p— an.  At  this  juncture  these  sounds 
should  be  taught. 


22  LEARNING   TO   READ. 

There  has  been  some  question  among  teachers  as  to  the  time  for 
teaching  sounds  of  the  letters.  It  is  wise  to  defer  this  teaching  until 
the  children  have  acquired  some  little  facility  in  reading,  and  under- 
stand its  purpose,  that  their  work  may  not  be  approached  from  the 
mechanical  side  solely.  Again,  the  vocabulary  which  the  children 
already  know  reveals  the  groups  of  similar  words  and  suggests  the  wis- 
dom of  analysis  and  classification.  And  further,  the  too  early  attempt 
to  study  the  lists  of  similar  words  and  to  select  and  emphasize  them  for 
use  in  reading,  drives  the  children  at  once  to  their  most  difficult  task. 
It  is  much  easier  to  recognize  Hiawatha  and  arrow,  because  they  are 
long  and  different,  and  seem  hard,  than  to  name  promptly  the  elusive 
can,  ran,  and  tan,  which  seem  so  easy  and  yet  are  so  nearly  alike  as  to 
be  formidable  obstacles  to  the  success  of  the  untrained  observer.  The 
climax  of  objection  is  reached  when  we  cite  the  tendency  to  make  sen- 
tences solely  for  the  sake  of  using  certain  words,  thus  destroying  the 
element  of  thought  value  in  the  sentence.  "  Does  the  fat  rat  see  the 
cat  on  the  mat  ? "  is  far  more  difficult  for  a  child  than  is  "  Hiawatha 
lived  in  a  wigwam  with  old  Nokomis  "  —  for  the  reasons  above  named. 

The  mastery  of  words  is  an  essential  element  in  learning  to  read. 
Our  common  mistake  is,  not  that  we  do  such  work  too  well,  but  that 
we  make  it  the  final  aim  of  the  reading  lesson,  and  lead  the  children  to 
feel  that  they  can  read  when  they  are  merely  able  to  pronounce  words. 
Perhaps  lack  of  careful  attention  to  the  form  of  words  is  quite  as  serious 
a  mistake,  for  it  results  in  carelessness  in  reading. 

The  study  of  form  and  of  sound  should  be  associated,  but  attention 
to  sound  alone  should  precede  any  attempt  to  master  the  form  as  sug- 
gesting sound.  Children  should  be  taught  to  recognize  and  to  distin- 
guish sounds,  to  repeat  them  accurately,  to  speak  them  distinctly,  before 
they  are  taught  to  copy  the  single  characters  which  represent  these 
sounds.  ,To  hear,  to  repeat,  to  compare,  to  distinguish  sounds,  should 
be  the  order  of  the  instruction. 


THE   ART    OF    READING.  23 

Careless  speech  and  indistinct  articulation  often  arise  from  imperfect 
hearing,  or  indifferent  attention  to  what  is  said.  Children  should  be 
trained  in  the  early  lessons  to  hear,  and  to  repeat,  exactly  what  is  said. 
The  repetition  is  a  test  of  the  child's  hearing.  Begin  with  short  sen- 
tences. Speak  them  clearly,  in  a  moderate  voice,  requiring  the  children 
to  repeat  after  once  hearing.  Gradually  increase  the  length  of  sentence, 
but  do  not  increase  the  volume  of  voice ;  speak  distinctly,  and  expect 
the  children  to  be  attentive  enough  to  hear  an  ordinary  tone ;  teach 
them  to  respond  in  the  same  tone,  with  clear  articulation.  Continue 
this  exercise  until  a  long  sentence  can  be  accurately  returned;  then 
pronounce  lists  of  words  beginning  with  letters^  which  demand  careful 
articulation.  When  these  have  been  mastered,  draw  attention  to  ini- 
tial sounds,  and  then  to  the  letters  which  represent  them.  Work  with 
these  until  every  letter  suggests  its  sounds  to  the  pupils,  whether  in  a 
new  or  in  a  familiar  word.  With  little  children,  the  sound  should  be 
taught  first  in  connection  with  initial  letters  always.  A  successful 
device  consists  in  allowing  each  pupil  to  represent  a  certain  sound.  If 
the  sound  is  the  initial  sound  in  his  own  name,  it  will  be  easy  for  the 
children  to  remember.  Thus  —  John  can  always  suggest  the  sound  of 
j,  Mary  the  sound  of  m,  Peter  the  sound  of  p,  and  so  on.  A  class  of 
children  aided  in  this  way  will  master  the  sounds  of  the  letters  in  a 
very  short  time. 

Having  learned,  through  the  initials,  the  sounds  which  various  letters 
represent,  the  next  step  will  be  to  analyze  phonosyllables  into  their 
sounds.  Select  first  those  containing  short  vowels,  in  order  to  avoid 
the  difficulty  of  the  silent  letter.  The  preliminary  drill  with  the  initials 
will  have  made  this  step  an  easy  one  to  take. 

Whenever  a  type  word  is  represented,  as  —  black,  for  example,  the 
children  should  be  taught  to  suggest  other  words  which  rhyme  with  the 
pattern,  as  —  crack,  back,  lack,  etc.  If  in  every  such  case  the  com- 
mon element  is  studied  and  mastered,  in  a  few  weeks  the  children  will 


24  LEARNING  TO   READ. 


become  possessors  of  a  large  vocabulary,  whose  basis  is  the  few  common 
words  which  they  have  studied.  Every  type  word  will  stand  for  a  list 
of  words  similar  in  form. 

This  study  of  sounds  should  continue  through  at  least  the  first  five 
school  years.  After  analyzing  any  word  into  its  separate  sounds,  the 
"children  should  be  required  to  name  other  known  words  which  resem- 
ble the  one  studied.  This  will  tend  to  a  habit  of  classification  which 
will  recall  the  known  word,  which  helps  the  student  to  master  the 
new  one. 

Diacritical  marks  are  a  help  in  mastering  new  words,  if  the  key 
words  have  been  studied  in  connection  with  the  marks.  They  are 
needed  also  in  consulting  the  dictionary  for  pronunciation.  They 
should  be  taught  only  when  necessary  to  the  pronunciation.  In 
older  classes,  after  the  use  of  the  dictionary  becomes  necessary,  a  com- 
plete list  should  be  mastered.  It  is  a  mistake  to  insist  upon  diacritical 
marking  when  the  children  can  pronounce  accurately  without.  I 
remember  hearing  a  teacher  chide  a  pupil  for  reading  a  sentence  before 
she  had  time  to  mark  the  vowels,  but,  since  the  child  could  and  did 
read  without  such  help,  the  marking  was  evidently  unnecessary.  It 
serves  as  a  means  to  an  end,  and  should  be  dispensed  with  when  the 
end  can  be  reached  without  such  artificial  aid. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  every  child  refers  a  new  word  back  to  a  similar 
word  with  which  he  has  become  familiar.  Thus  —  black,  once  mas- 
tered, serves  as  a  key  to  nack,  crack,  quack,  etc.  The  only  elements 
in  these  words  are  the  final  element  ack  and  the  initial  sounds.  If  a 
child  hesitates  with  a  new  word,  help  him  to  refer  at  once  to  the  type 
word  which  he  has  already  mastered.  Instead  of  pronouncing  the  new 
word  for  him,  insist  upon  his  using  for  himself  his  own  stock  of  knowl- 
edge. Help  him  only  where  he  cannot  help  himself.  If  he  forms  the 
habit  of  referring  the  unknown  to  the  kindred  known,  he  will  become 
independent  in  study.  For  example  —  to  a  six-years-old  child  the  word 


THE   ART   OF   READING.  25 

blacksmith  may,  at  first  sight,  appear  formidable.  Separated  into 
its  parts  and  referred  to  the  simple  words  already  mastered,  the  child 
conquers  the  newcomer,  and  adds  it  to  his  list  of  servants.  He  is 
endowed  with  new  strength,  because  he  has  mastered  something  which 
seemed  to  him  hard.  Such  conquests,  often  repeated,  lead  to  strength 
and  independence.  In  many  cases,  it  is  wise  to  leave  a  child  to  wrestle 
with  a  word  which  at  first  sight  he  fails  to  master.  Of  course  this 
process  is  unwise  if  he  has  no  experience  to  which  he  can  refer  for  help. 
Guess-work  will  never  take  the  place  of  thought,  and  a  child  should 
not  be  driven  to  guess  at  the  pronunciation,  but  every  attempt  should 
be  based  upon  something  which  he  has  been  taught  in  former  lessons. 
Such  practice  will  lead  to  thoughtful  self-help. 

This  work  may  be  facilitated  by  many  devices.  We  have  seen 
classes  hunting  for  new  words  beginning  with  a  given  sound,  as  eagerly 
as  if  they  were  playing  hide  and  seek.  Or  with  the  utmost  enjoyment 
they  have  made  lists  of  words  beginning  with  chosen  sounds ;  or 
matched  pairs  of  words  which  rhymed.  But  their  most  valuable 
exercise  is  that  in  which  the  old  familiar  word  of  their  first  vocabulary 
is  made  the  key  which  unlocks  the  new. 

Now,  when  a  new  word  is  presented,  the  teacher  no  longer  pro- 
nounces it  for  the  children,  but  asks  instead,  "  What  word  helps  you  to 
pronounce  it  ?  "  Bright  is  not  a  new  word,  because  the  children  know 
light,  remember  the  sound  of  br,  and  put  their  two  bits  of  knowledge 
together  to  meet  the  new  emergency.  They  do  for  themselves  what 
the  teacher  has  heretofore  done  for  them. 

A  most  helpful  form  of  word  study,  which  is  suitable  for  desk  work,  is 
making  lists  of  words  containing  the  same  sound.  It  strengthens  the 
habit  of  classification,  and  helps  in  spelling  and  in  the  recognition  of 
new  words. 

The  most  difficult  work  for  children  appears  in  words  which  are  spelled 
alike  and  pronounced  differently,  or  in  words  pronounced  alike  and 


26  LEARNING   TO   READ. 


spelled  differently,  or  in  the  various  equivalents  of  the  same  sound  which 
our  language  affords.  Chair,  their,  where,  etc.  suggest  the  problems 
of  this  nature.  This  work  should  be  introduced  not  earlier  than  the 
third  or  fourth  year.  It  should  come  in  connection  with  the  spell- 
ing lesson,  and  not  with  the  reading.  The  mastery  of  these  diffi- 
culties in  English  spelling  doubtless  requires  many  months  of  careful 
teaching. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  children  are  hindered  and  not  helped 
by  any  attempt  to  spell  by  sound,  words  which  are  unique  in  spelling. 
Through,  for  example,  should  be  learned  by  sight,  and  not  by  sound. 
Beautiful,  tongue,  physique  —  may  illustrate  this  group.  The  eye, 
and  not  the  ear,  must  be  depended  upon  in  the  mastery  of  such  words. 
Care  should  be  taken  to  develop  the  habit  of  accurate  attention  through 
the  eye  as  well  as  the  ear.  Any  attempt  to  mark  the  sounds  in  these 
words  increases  the  labor  without  increasing  facility.  If  the  teacher 
makes  a  careful  classification  of  the  ordinary  words  which  frequently 
recur  in  the  reading  lesson,  she  will  discover  the  class  which  must  be 
mastered  by  sight.  Out  of  the  remainder  she  can  make  lists  which 
include  the  ordinary  type  sounds.  The  study  of  these  lists  will  reduce 
the  labor  of  word  mastery  to  its  minimum,  and  the  habit  of  comparison 
developed  through  this  study  will  go  far  to  make  the  children  inde- 
pendent in  the  pronunciation  of  new  words. 

For  diacritical  marks  and  correct  pronunciation,  the  teacher  is 
referred  to  the  standard  dictionaries.  It  should  not  be  forgotten  that 
the  teacher's  pronunciation  is  a  guide  to  the  pupil.  She  needs  a  quick 
ear  and  the  careful  judgment  which  will  render  her  a  safe  guide. 
The  familiar  rule  should  direct  her  practice.  When  in  doubt,  consult 
the  dictionary. 

Note  the  value  of  this  word  mastery.  The  pupil  fast  becomes  inde- 
pendent of  the  teacher,  and  ready  to  master  the  page  for  himself. 
Note,  also,  that  this  power  becomes  his  in  proportion  to  the  teacher's 


THE   ART   OF   READING. 


27 


purpose  to  make  him  self-helpful,  and  her  skill  in  finding  the  connect- 
ing link  between  the  new  knowledge  and  the  old. 

It  is  self-evident  that  this  plan  can  be  pursued  only  when  the  words 
are  amenable  to  common  phonic  laws.  Cough,  and  its  congeners, 
should  be  named  as  new  wholes.  So  with  all  words  which  follow  no 
rule,  and  must  be  pronounced  by  substitution.  No  time  should  be  lost 
by  attempting  a  method  which  has  no  excuse  for  being,  in  such  cases. 
In  its  place,  as  a  help  to  the  mastery  of  groups  of  kindred  words,  it  is 
invaluable.  Out  of  place,  it  is  bad. 

Two  elements  of  learning  to  read  have  been  presented  here : 
sentence  reading  and  word  mastery.  Of  the  study  of  the  meaning  of 
the  words  and  the  development  of  the  power  of  imagination  we  shall 
speak  elsewhere. 


PART   II. 

THE  FIRST  YEAR  IN  READING. 
SUGGESTIONS   TO   TEACHERS. 


part  II. 

CHAPTER   III. 

THE  FIRST  YEAR  IN  READING. 
SUGGESTIONS  TO  TEACHERS. 

I. 

THE    FIRST  LESSON    WITH    THE    BOOK 

*a£ 

IT  is  assumed  that  the  teacher 
whose  class  is  undertaking  the 

initial  lessons  in  reading  has  already  J^ 

prepared  the  way  for  the  book, 

by  language    lessons  and   by 

reading   from   the    blackboard.     The 

children   have   gained   some  idea   of 

the  purpose  of  reading,  and  can  already 

read  a  number  of  simple  sentences 

which  have   been   written   upon 

the  board  or  paper.     Now  comes 

the  happy  day  when  the  book  is 

placed  in  their  hands. 

This  should  be  considered  by  both 
teacher  and  pupil  a  most  eventful  day. 
When  Mrs.   Wesley  taught  her  children 
their  letters,  she  dressed  them  in  their  best 
clothes,  and  they  sat  in  state,  in  happy  antici- 
pation of  the  great  event.      Doubtless  their  rapid 


32  LEARNING   TO   READ. 


acquisition  of  the  alphabet  was  largely  due  to  the  deep  impression 
which  the  mother  thus  made  upon  them.  Commonplace  as  the  routine 
lesson  may  appear  to  the  teacher,  she  should  not  forget  that  the  first 
study  of  the  book  opens  the  door  into  book-land  for  the  children. 
She  should  make  the  day  a  happy  one,  and  emphasize  this  new  be- 
ginning which  points  so  hopefully  to  future  achievement. 

The  class  awaits  the  distribution  of  the  new  books  with  eager  antici- 
pation. A  few  words  from  the  teacher  suggest  to  the  children  the  value 
of  the  book,  the  care  which  should  be  exercised  in  handling  it,  the 
virtue  of  clean  hands,  the  objection  to  marks  and  blots,  curled  edges 
and  torn  pages.  But  when  the  treasures  are  once  in  the  hands  of 
the  pupils,  she  allows  them  to  turn  the  pages  at  their  own  sweet  will, 
to  look  at  the  pictures,  and  to  express  their  delight  in  their  new  posses- 
sion. Perhaps  she  calls  the  little  ones  about  her  and  shows  them  how  to 
open  and  to  hold  the  book,  how  to  turn  the  page,  how  to  find  new  pages. 
She  talks  with  them  about  some  of  the  pictures  in  which  they  are  inter- 
ested, and  then  bids  them  search  for  words  which  they  already  know. 

It  is  much  more  difficult  for  little  children  to  read  from  the  printed 
page,  meanwhile  holding  the  book  and  "  keeping  their  place,"  than 
to  read  the  same  sentence  from  the  board  as  it  has  just  appeared 
beneath  the  teacher's  crayon.  It  is  the  part  of  wisdom,  therefore, 
to  acquaint  the  children  with  the  few  words  upon  the  first  pages 
of  the  book,  before  they  are  introduced  to  these  pages.  Until  the 
manipulation  of  the  book  becomes  easy,  and  the  pupils  have  learned 
to  find  and  to  follow  the  lines  upon  the  page,  the  sentences  should 
present  the  least  possible  difficulty  in  themselves.  It  is  supposed, 
then,  that  the  children  who  take  the  First  Reader  into  their  hands 
have  already  read  from  the  board  the  sentences  found  upon  the  first 
ten  pages,  at  least,  and  know  the  words  and  phrases  which  are  included 
in  these  sentences.  If  this  is  the  case,  they  will  read  all  that  is  found 
upon  these  pages  in  the  first  two  or  three  days  after  the  book  is  given 
them. 


THE   FIRST   YEAR   IN   READING.  33 

II. 

THE   FIRST  VOCABULARY. 


34  LEARNING   TO   READ. 

is  easier  to  distinguish  words  which  are  markedly  different  from  one 
another  than  to  recognize  those  which  present  slight  differences  merely. 
Do  you  like  bread  and  milk,  Fan  ?  is  easier  to  read  than  Does  the 
fat  cat  see  the  rat  on  the  mat  ?  Furthermore,  to  insist  upon  a 
phonic  vocabulary,  at  this  stage,  would  so  limit  the  range  of  sentences 
as  to  make  the  lessons  mechanical,  and  largely  eliminate  any  free 
expression  of  thought. 

The  words  used,  however,  are  such  as  will  serve  in  the  future 
as  type  words,  in  the  various  phonic  lists  which  the  children  must 
learn.  The  study  of  phonics  is  simply  postponed,  that  it  may  be 
subordinate  to  the  chief  end  in  reading,  and  the  teacher  is  asked  to 
use  these  first  pages  without  effort  to  emphasize  that  phase  of  word 
mastery.  That  will  come  later,  in  its  rightful  place.  Meanwhile, 
the  child  is  unconsciously  mastering  a  vocabulary  which  will  serve 
as  a  basis  for  his  classification  and  analysis,  later. 


III. 

THE  FIRST    SERIES    OF    LESSONS. 

Page  eleven  represents  Ben  running  after  a  ball.  He  has  been 
introduced  before  as  our  dog.  The  first  sentence  presents  nothing 
new.  The  action  in  the  picture  suggests  animation,  and  the  children 
will  read  in  an  animated  fashion.  The  exclamation  point  intimates 
this  to  the  teacher.  It  is  not  intended  for  the  children,  and  should 
not  be  mentioned  unless  the  children  ask  questions  about  it. 

Tr.   Look  at  Ben's  face.     Do  you  think  he  is  a  cross 
dog  ?     What  kind  of  dog  is  Ben '? 
Ch.    He  is  a  good  dog. 


THE   FIRST    YEAR   IN   READING.  35 

Tr.  What  is  he  doing  ? 

Ch.  He  is  running. 

Tr.  See  him  run !     Tell  him  to  run. 

Ch.  Run,  Ben! 

Tr.  What  is  he  trying  to  do  ? 

Ch.  He  is  trying  to  get  the  ball. 

Tr.  Tell  him  to  get  it. 

Ch.  Get  the  ball ! 

The  children  read  these  sentences  with  such  expression  as  they  would 
use  if  talking  to  their  mates  about  Ben,  or  urging  the  dog  to  run. 
The  next  sentence,  He  can  get  the  ball,  presents  no  new  word,  and 
therefore  is  easy.  Let  the  children  dig  it  out  for  themselves,  going 
back  to  earlier  sentences  to  refresh  their  memory,  if  it  is  necessary. 
Let  them  read  the  first  two  words  of  the  next  sentence  —  Ben  likes  : 
—  these,  too,  are  familiar. 

Tr.    What  does  he  like  to  do  ? 

Ch.    He  likes  to  run,  he  likes  to  jump. 

The  to  is  not  emphasized ;  it  is  written  with  the  run.  To  run  and 
jump  may  be  taught  as  one  phrase,  just  as  bread  and  milk  has  been. 
And  is  becoming  familiar  to  the  children  now,  though  it  is  meaning- 
less to  them  ;  and  to  will  soon  become  familiar,  by  repetition.  Mean- 
while, it  should  not  be  emphasized  in  the  first  lesson. 

Tr.   Ben  likes  to  run  and  jump. 
Can  you  run  ?     Can  you  jump  ? 


36  LEARNING  TO   READ. 


Do  you  like  to  run  ?     Do  you  like  to  jump  ? 
Let  me  see  you  run.       Let  me  see  you  jump. 
What  can  you  do  ? 
Ch.    I  can  run  and  jump. 

Tr.    You   can   do  what  Ben   can    do.     Can  Ben   do 
everything  that  you  can  do  ?     What  can  you  do  ? 
Ch.    I  can  read. 
Tr.    Can  Ben  read  ? 

If  this  lesson  is  presented  upon  the  board  before  the  children  attempt 
to  read  it  from  the  book,  abundant  repetition  may  be  provided  which 
will  help  to  fix  the  words  in  mind.  Such  word  lessons  are  indispensa- 
ble to  the  early  teaching  of  reading.  They  afford  opportunity  for 
frequent  repetition,  with  variety.  Any  book  lesson  in  permanent 
form  is  quickly  memorized  by  the  children,  and  a  sentence  once  memo- 
rized is  useless  as  a  test.  Whatever  book  or  lesson  is  used  at  this 
stage,  the  teacher  should  supplement  it  by  rapid  and  varied  lessons 
upon  the  board.  These  have  the  added  value  of  appearing  newly 
made  before  the  eyes  of  the  children.  The  freshness  always  adds  to 
the  interest. 

This  is  Ben. 

Ben  is  our  dog. 

See  our  dog  !     See  Ben! 

Ben  is  a  good  dog. 

I  like  Ben. 

Ben  likes  me. 


THE   FIRST   YEAR  IN   READING.  37 


See  Ben  run  !     See  him  run  ! 

Run,  Ben!     Get  the  ball! 

Run  and  get  the  ball. 

He  can  get  the  ball. 

Ben  likes  to  run. 

He  likes  to  jump. 

I  like  to  run. 

I  like  to  jump. 

Ben  and  I  can  run  and  jump. 

I  can  run.     Ben  can  run. 

I  can  jump.     Ben  can  jump. 

I  can  read.     Can  Ben  read  ? 

Page  twelve  contains  no  new  word  except  she.  This  word  will 
not  be  emphasized ;  it  simply  takes  the  place  of  kitty,  and  naturally 
slips  into  its  appointed  place.  It  will  be  repeated  often  enough  to 
insure  recognition.  Like  is  —  our  —  my  —  the  —  to  —  and  —  it  is 
a  necessary  link  in  the  sentence,  but  has  not  such  meaning  as  to  readily 
fix  the  attention  of  the  child.  These  sentences  may  be  multiplied  as 
in  the  previous  lesson. 

This  is  my  kitty. 

See  my  kitty! 

She  likes  to  run. 

She  likes  to  jump. 

Ben  and  Kitty  like  to  run  and  jump. 


38 


LEARNING   TO   READ. 


F,C, 


She  is  a  good  kitty. 

She  likes  me. 

I  can  run,  Kitty. 

I  can  jump. 

Eun,  Kitty,  run. 

Kun  and  jump,  Kitty! 

See  me  run!     See  me  jump ! 

See  me,  Kitty ! 

Can  Kitty  see  Ben  ? 

Can  Ben  see  Kitty  ? 

Page  thirteen  contains  no  new  word.  This  is  —  she  is  —  I  like  - 
can  you  —  I  see  —  should  be  repeated  over  and  over,  in  sentences 
until  they  present  no  difficulty.  Supplementary  sentences  may  be 
made  as  before. 


THE   FIRST   YEAR  IN   READING.  39 

IY. 

SILENT    READING. 

On  page  sixteen,  Silent  Reading  is  proposed,  its  object  being  not 
simply  to  test  the  children's  perception  of  the  thought,  but  to  help 
them  to  realize  that  the  chief  object  of  reading  is  to  enable  them 
to  get  the  meaning  of  the  sentences.  Their  answers  should  be  spoken 
in  sentences. 

Yes,  I  see  Kitty. 

Kitty  can  jump. 

No,  she  does  not  eat  grass. 

Yes,  Ben  likes  bread  and  milk. 

Meat  is  good  for  children  to  eat. 

Dogs  like  meat,  too. 

Grass  is  good  for  cows  to  eat. 

Multiply  these  exercises.  Write  the  questions  upon  slips  of  paper, 
distribute  them  to  the  children,  and  ask  them  to  read  the  question 
and  to  give  the  answer  in  turn.  Such  an  exercise  affords  variety 
which  is  always  pleasing  to  children,  and,  further,  serves  as  a  test 
of  their  power  to  get  the  meaning  of  the  question. 

Questions  for  Silent  Reading,  in  connection  with  the  first  twenty-four 
pages : 

Have  you  a  ball? 
Have  you  a  blue  ball  ? 
Ts  your  ball  little  ? 


40 


LEARNING  TO   READ. 


Where  is  your  ball  ] 

Do  you  like  to  play  ball  ? 

Can  Ben  play  ball  ? 

Do  you  like  dogs  1 

Have  you  a  dog  ? 

Does  your  dog  like  to  play  ? 

Can  you  run  ? 

Do  you  like  to  run? 

Can  Ben  jump  ? 

Does  Ben  like  to  jump  ? 

Does  Fan  like  Ben? 

Can  Fan  play  with  Ben  ? 

Does  Fan  like  Kitty  ? 

Can  Kitty  play  with  the  ball  ? 

Does  Baby  like  bread  arid  milk  ? 

Can  Baby  eat  bread  1 

Can  Baby  drink  milk  ? 

Can  Baby  see  Fan  ? 

Is  Fan  good  to  the  baby  ? 

Is  old  Fan  in  the  field  ? 

Can  you  run  in  the  field  ? 

Can  you  play  in  the  field  ? 

Do  you  like  to  play  in  the  field  ? 


THE  FIRST  YEAR  IN  READING.  41 


Can  you  play  in  the  brook  ? 

Do  you  like  to  play  in  the  brook  ? 

Old  Fan  drinks  from  the  brook. 

Can  you  drink  water  from  the  brook  ? 

Do  you  see  Fan  and  Baby  I 

Do  you  see  Ned  ? 

Can  Ned  play  ball  ? 

Has  Ned  a  good  ball  ? 

Does  Ned  like  to  play  with  Ben  ? 

Can  Ned  milk  Fan  ? 

Can  you  find  Ned's  ball  ? 

Is  Ned's  ball  like  your  ball  ? 

y. 

SENTENCES  TO  BE  COMPLETED. 

On  page  twenty-four,  an  exercise  is  introduced  which  may  be  made 
very  profitable.  Obviously,  no  one  can  fill  the  blanks  in  the  sentences 
without  first  being  able  to  pronounce  the  written  words  and  give  their 
meaning.  Such  exercises,  then,  serve  as  a  test  of  the  children's  mastery 
of  the  words  used,  and  also  afford  a  pleasing  variety  for  seat  work. 
The  exercise  seems  like  a  game  to  the  children,  and  they  enter  into  it 
with  the  spirit  of  play.  Cards,  or  slips,  upon  which  such  broken  sen- 
tences are  written,  may  be  made  very  useful,  both  for  seat  work  and  for 
varying  the  class  exercise  in  reading. 


42 


LEARNING  TO  READ. 


"  f  f 
Incomplete  sentences  to  be  completed 

Baby old  Fan. 

Fan  gives to  Baby. 

Fan water. 

Baby  has  a ball. 

Ned  plays  in  the . 

He  likes  to  play . 

Ben  is dog. 

He  can and . 

Our  Kate Ben. 

Kate  plays  with . 

Ben my  ball. 

Ben with  Kitty. 


by  the  children : 

Kate  likes and 

Kate  can  — . 

I  like . 

I  like  to  drink . 

Fan  eats  — — . 

Kate  eats and  - 

Kitty  eats-    — . 
Ben  likes  —    -  and  - 

Ned  can  play . 

Fan  is  a cow. 

Ned  is  a  -     -  boy. 
Ben  is  a-     -dog. 


THE   FIRST   YEAR  IN   READING.  43 


YI. 

DIFFICULT    WORDS. 

The  words  which  really  hinder  the  children  in  their  reading,  are  the 
ittle  words  having  no  appreciable  meaning  to  the  young  learners, 
^repositions,  conjunctions,  interjections,  copulative  verbs,  articles  and 
ixpletives  are  necessary  links  in  the  sentence,  but  are  difficult  to  master 
,s  units.  These  words  should  be  taught  in  connection  with  the  nouns 
>r  verbs  with  which  they  are  associated  in  the  sentence.  Constant 
epetition  makes  them  familiar.  After  they  are  recognized  with  some 
iase  and  readiness,  lists  should  be  made  upon  the  board,  and  at  the 
)eriod  of  word  study  these  lists  should  be  repeated  by  the  children 
until  immediate  recognition  and  accuracy  in  pronunciation  are  assured. 
The  common  mistake  is  to  suppose  that  the  longer  the  word,  the  more 
difficult  the  mastery.  The  teacher's  experience,  however,  goes  to  prove 
hat  it  is  the  little  word  which  causes  stumbling  and  prevents  clear 
•ecognition  of  the  thought.  The  teacher  should  carefully  note  the 
words  which  occasion  stumbling,  and,  having  selected  those  which  fre- 
quently recur  in  the  reading  lessons  and  therefore  must  necessarily  be 
earned,  should  give  time  to  drill  upon  this  selected  list.  A  chart  may 
DC  prepared,  and  a  daily  repetition  required,  or  the  lists  may  be  placed 
ipon  cards,  which  are  distributed  to  the  children  to  be  used  in  a  variety 
f  ways,  as  the  teacher  may  direct.  The  point  is,  that,  while  these 
jeemingly  unimportant  words  are  without  emphasis  in  the  reading,  they 
should  receive  particular  attention  in  the  word  study  and  drill,  so  that 
he  ordinary  stumbling  and  hesitation  may  be  prevented. 


44  LEARNING   TO   READ. 

VII. 

THE    BEGINNING   OF    PHONICS. 

On  page  twenty-five,  lessons  upon  the  sounds  of  the  letters  make  their 
appearance.  Reference  to  the  chapter  upon  THE  ART  OF  READING 
will  show  the  relation  of  these  lessons  to  the  other  exercises  in  reading. 
It  is  time  now  for  the  children  to  know  the  sounds  of  the  letters,  that 
they  may  help  themselves  in  the  pronunciation  of  new  words.  The 
device  which  has  been  adopted  to  aid  them  in  this  exercise  is  partly  old 
and  partly  new.  Pages  25,  26,  27,  and  28  contain  a  child's  table  of 
reference.  The  letters  are  arranged  in  alphabetical  order.  With  each 
letter  appears  a  word  chosen  because  that  letter  indicates  its  initial 
sound.  In  pronouncing  a  word,  the  child  must  first  make  the  sound 
for  which  the  letter  stands.  The  short  sounds  of  the  vowels  have  been 
used  because  they  occur  most  frequently  in  the  child's  early  vocabulary 
in  reading.  The  pictures  have  been  placed  beside  the  word  to  add 
interest,  and  to  help  the  children  in  their  first  rendering  of  the  word. 
Nouns  have  been  chosen,  in  every  instance.  The  words  in  this  list  are 
not  intended  to  be  sounded  by  the  children.  Their  phonic  analysis 
will  extend  in  this  case  only  to  the  initial  letter. 

The  pupils  should  be  drilled  upon  this  list  until  they  can  give  the 
sound  of  every  letter  without  reference  to  the  table.  Should  they  fail 
to  give  the  proper  sound  in  their  later  work,  they  should  be  referred  to 
the  table  to  find  it,  thus  beginning  self-help  in  the  use  of  books.  The 
teacher  who  adopts  a  different  vocabulary  for  the  early  lessons  may 
make  a  table  which  will  be  more  helpful  to  herself,  but  the  writer  is 
convinced  that  such  help  at  this  stage  is  very  valuable.  Its  worth 
appears  in  proportion  as  the  children  are  made  to  depend  upon  them- 
selves in  their  exercises,  and  to  refer  to  the  table  when  they  need  help. 
The  sounding  or  phonic  analysis  of  words  which  admit  of  such  analysis, 


THE   FIRST   YEAR   IN   READING. 


45 


should  become  a  part  of  their  exercise  in  word  study,  at  this  stage,  and 
the  children  should  be  urged  to  use  their  new  knowledge  in  pronouncing 
new  words,  depending  as  far  as  possible  upon  themselves,  and  asking 
the  teacher's  aid  only  as  a  last  resort. 


c  C 


00 


e  E 


f  F 


46  LEARNING   TO   READ. 


VIII. 

THE   USE  OF   RHYMES. 

Pages  twenty-nine  and  thirty  introduce  exercises  in  word  study  in 
which  the  rhyme  is  called  into  service.  Observation  of  children's  early 
use  of  picture  books  teaches  us  that  many  young  readers  learn  to  recog- 
nize words  through  their  place  in  the  rhyme.  Who  does  not  remember 
reading  the  rhymed  story  to  the  eager  child-listener,  who  followed  the 
words  upon  the  page  with  his  index  ringer,  and  named  aloud  each  word 
at  the  end  of  the  line  ?  It  was  not  long  before  he  could  recognize  all 
the  rhymed  words  at  the  end  of  the  line,  and,  later,  he  became  able  to 
name  prominent  words  in  the  line,  reciting  from  memory,  and  pointing 
to  the  words  in  order,  as  he  recited.  The  writer  has  often  made  use  of 
this  natural  tendency  of  the  children,  in  teaching  classes  to  read,  and 
has  found  that  many  words  which  would  otherwise  seem  difficult  to 
learn,  are  easily  acquired  and  added  to  the  child's  reading  vocabulary  if 
they  are  found  in  memorized  rhymes.  The  device  is  mechanical,  of 
course.  It  simply  makes  use  of  something  which  the  child  likes  to  do, 
and  turns  it  to  account  in  the  acquisition  of  the  early  vocabulary. 

On  page  twenty-nine,  appears  the  familiar  rhyme : 

One,  two,  three,  four,  five, 

I  caught  a  hare  alive. 
Six,  seven,  eight,  nine,  ten, 

I  let  him  go  again. 

Most  of  the  children  have  already  memorized  this  nursery  jingle.  If 
they  have  not,  it  will  be  quickly  committed  to  memory.  After  they 
know  it  —  not  "before  —  let  them  point  to  the  words  as  they  read  them, 
one  by  one ;  then  ask  them  to  find  the  words,  skipping  about,  without 


THE   FIRST   YEAR  IN   READING.  47 

regard  to  order ;  recognize  the  same  words  upon  the  top  or  bottom  of 
the  page,  and  afterwards  require  them  in  their  busy  work  to  write  the 
words  beside  the  corresponding  figures.  Most  of  the  words  will  recur 
frequently  in  the  child's  reading ;  the  others  need  not  be  emphasized 
until  their  recurrence  makes  this  necessary.  The  figures  should  be 
utilized  at  once  in  finding  the  pages  of  the  Reader. 

On  page  thirty,  the  exercise  is  carried  still  farther.  The  well-known 
rhyme,  "Jack  and  Jill,"  appears,  with  appropriate  illustration.  The 
children  are  supposed  to  have  memorized  the  rhyme  before  attempting 
the  word  study.  Having  memorized  it,  they  find  the  different  words  in 
the  rhyme,  from  their  position,  naming  them  one  by  one.  After  they 
can  readily  find  them,  new  words  are  introduced  which  rhyme  with  the 
words  found  in  the  lesson.  Here  is  an  occasion  for  turning  back  to  the 
alphabetical  list,  in  order  to  discover  the  sound  of  the  initial  letter. 
The  child  who  knows  the  word  Jill  and  knows  the  alphabetical  sounds, 
ought  to  be  able  to  pronounce  fill  for  himself.  Tell  ought  to  be  easily 
conquered  by  the  child  who  knows  fell ;  let  is  pronounced  easily  after 
get  is  known ;  lame  is  easy  after  came  is  mastered,  and  so  on. 

The  exercise  is  intended  to  be  suggestive  of  a  type  of  word  study 
which  is  always  fraught  with  interest  to  the  children.  Teachers  will 
note  that  the  words  which  are  made  useful  in  the  rhymes  are  the  so- 
called  type- words  which  appear  as  representatives  of  a  family,  or  class 
of  words.  Tumbling  and  after  are  ignored,  but  went  stands  for  the 
group  which  includes  bent  —  sent  —  dent  —  lent  —  pent  —  rent  —  tent 
—  scent,  etc.  and  therefore  is  an  acquisition  not  to  be  despised.  It  is 
hoped  that  the  teacher  will  make  frequent  use  of  such  exercises,  placing 
upon  the  board  the  familiar  nursery  rhymes,  and  underlining  the  words 
which  may  serve  the  children  as  indicated  in  this  exercise. 

It  should  perhaps  be  said  that  these  two  pages  afford  material  for 
several  lessons,  and  that  the  teacher  should  not  attempt  to  complete  the 
indicated  study  at  one  period. 


48  LEARNING   TO   READ. 

IX 

READING   AND   DRAWING 

Several  of  the  lessons  in  the  First  Reader  are  accompanied  by  out- 
lined sketches  which  are  intended  to  serve  as  material  for  seat  work. 
Any  teacher  of  little  children  will  understand  how  they  may  be  used. 
It  may  be  well  to  advise  in  this  connection  a  free  use  of  the  pencil  in 
illustrating  sentences.  Children  are  ordinarily  very  ready  to  express 
their  thoughts  with  the  pencil,  and  their  drawings  may  be  made  very 
helpful  to  the  teacher.  They  reveal  the  child's  notion  of  the  thought 
in  the  sentence,  and  often  show  his  mistaken  ideas,  thus  giving  the 
teacher  an  opportunity  to  correct  them.  They  are  a  fair  indication,  too, 
of  the  pupil's  real  interest,  and  always  deserve  the  teacher's  careful 
study.  Whenever  the  lesson  will  afford  such  opportunity,  the  children 
should  be  encouraged  to  draw  the  picture  suggested  to  them  by  the 
sentence. 

Old  Fan  is  in  the  field. 
My  ball  is  under  the  table. 
Baby  has  a  cnp  of  milk. 
Kitty  likes  to  play  with  Ben. 
Jack  and  Jill  went  up  the  hill. 
The  mother  hen  has  five  chickens. 
Our  house  is  a  farmhouse. 
Jack  can  draw  a  load  of  hay. 
I  like  to  ride  on  the  hay. 
Ben  can  swim  in  the  water. 


THE   FIRST   YEAR   IN   READING. 


49 


The  robin  has  a  nest  in  the  tree, 

Ned  found  the  robin's  nest. 

Mary  had  a  little  lamb. 

It  followed  her  to  school  one  day. 

The  little  flower  grows  in  the  field. 

The  little  fish  swims  in  the  sea. 

The  bear  lives  in  the  woods. 

Jack  can  sail  a  boat. 

The  boat  sails  on  the  water. 

Jack's  home  is  near  the  sea. 

Mary's  lamb  eats  from  her  hand. 

After  a  limited  vocabulary  has  been  mastered,  the  teacher  can  make 
frequent  use  of  such  exercises,  for  silent  reading  at  the  desks,  the 
children  reading  the  sentences  to  themselves  and  drawing  the  pictures 
which  they  represent.  They  invariably  enjoy  such  exercises,  and  the 
pencil  interpretation  is  often  more  satisfactory  than  the  oral  reading. 


X. 


GROUPS    OF    SIMILAR   WORDS. 

Word  Study  upon  page  thirty-two  uses  the  words  of  the  lesson  to 
extend  the  vocabulary.  Smile  becomes  smiles  by  the  addition  of  s ; 
speak  becomes  speaks  ;  take  becomes  takes,  and  hand  is  changed  to 
hands.  Let  such  exercises  in  word  drill  be  multiplied  until  the  chil- 
dren become  able  to  pronounce  a  group  of  related  words,  after  having 
the  single  one  presented  to  them.  All  regular  plurals  can  be  taught 


50  LEARNING  TO  READ. 

in  this  way,  after  the  singular  has  been  presented :  so  with  the  various 
derivatives  which  occur  in  adjective  or  verb  forms.  Walk,  walks, 
walking,  sidewalk ;  speak,  speaks,  speaker,  speaking,  —  may  serve  to 
suggest  the  possibilities  of  this  exercise. 

As  far  as  possible,  the  exercises  in  word  study  which  are  intended  to 
increase  the  vocabulary  should  be  referred  back  to  the  known  words 
which  occur  in  the  reading  lessons,  so  that  the  children  may  be  enabled 
to  use  those  words  as  the  key  to  the  other  groups,  and  to  search  in  the 
present  treasure  for  the  word  which  will  unlock  the  new  sentence  to 
them.  This  habit  of  working  for  themselves,  of  depending  upon  them- 
selves, is  invaluable,  and  it  should  be  developed,  even  at  the  expense 
of  seemingly  slow  progress  in  the  beginning.  To  pronounce  a  word 
for  the  child  is  quicker  work  than  to  help  him  pronounce  it  for  himself, 
but  it  is  not  serviceable  for  the  next  lesson  ;  while  the  power  acquired 
by  his  own  doing  makes  him  master  of  countless  pages. 

Throughout  the  book,  occasional  lessons  in  word  study  have  been 
suggested,  whenever  a  list  of  words  has  been  given  with  endings  like 
a  representative  found  in  the  lesson.  These  are  simply  typical,  and  it 
is  well  to  use  other  words  in  the  same  way.  Whenever  the  children 
build  such  lists  in  independent  exercises,  without  the  immediate 
direction  of  the  teacher,  they  should  read  them  afterward,  in  order  that 
she  may  judge  whether  the  work  has  been  done  intelligently.  The 
exercise  is  much  more  valuable  when  it  is  thus  tested. 

The  third  column  for  word  study  on  page  thirty-five  includes  some 
of  the  words  of  indefinite  meaning  which  have  been  referred  to  as 
difficult.  Included  in  this  list,  we  shall  find  he  written  with  both 
capital  and  small  letter.  All  teachers  of  beginners  are  familiar  with 
the  difficulty  presented  when  the  capital  is  introduced  in  a  word  which 
has  been  hitherto  one  beginning  with  the  small  letter.  An  excellent 
exercise  to  overcome  this  difficulty,  is  a  drill  in  writing,  beginning  the 
words  in  both  ways.  First  begin  with  the  small  letter,  and  then  with 


THE   FIRST   YEAR  IN   READING.  51 

the  capital.  Inasmuch  as  any  word  may  present  this  difficulty  when 
it  occurs  at  the  beginning  of  a  sentence,  the  trouble  is  a  frequent  one, 
and  such  drill  will  go  far  to  remove  it. 

Pages  thirty-six  and  thirty-seven  continue  such  lists  of  words.  It 
will  be  understood  that  many  of  these  words  will  never  appear  in  the 
vocabulary  of  the  lessons.  These  exercises  are  intended  merely  for 
word  study. 

XL 

LANGUAGE    LESSONS   WITH    READING. 

In  another  chapter,  the  relation  of  the  language  lessons  to  the 
reading  lessons  is  discussed  at  some  length.  The  lesson  upon  this 
page  presents  an  opportunity  for  an  observation  lesson  which  will  go 
far  to  increase  the  interest  in  the  reading,  and  will,  furthermore,  supply 
material  for  many  reading  lessons.  Obviously,  a  talk  upon  birds  will 
bring  to  the  minds  of  the  children  whatever  knowledge  they  have 
gained  on  the  subject,  and  will  show  the  teacher  whether  any  pupils 
are  unprepared  for  the  lesson.  These  lessons  were  intended  both  for 
the  children  who  know  the  robin  and  for  those  who  do  not,  but  in  the 
latter  case  the  preparatory  lessons  should  be  given  in  which  the  children 
do  observe  the  robin,  the  nest,  and  the  egg,  or  approach  this  as  nearly 
as  possible.  Several  primary  teachers  whom  the  writer  has  known 
well  are  accustomed  to  take  their  pupils  into  the  woods  to  observe  the 
birds.  Where  this  is  impossible,  the  English  sparrow  is  omnipresent 
and  can  serve  as  a  type  for  the  city  bird  life.  The  children  watch  the 
sparrow  :  tell  how  large  he  is  ;  what  his  color  is  ;  what  he  can  do ;  what 
they  have  seen  him  do ;  where  he  builds  his  nest ;  how  he  builds  it ;  of 
what  material  he  makes  it ;  how  he  feeds  his  little  birds  ;  how  they  beg 
for  food ;  what  the  sparrows  have  for  breakfast ;  what  they  use  instead 
of  knife,  fork,  spoon,  and  plate;  how  the  sparrow's  home  differs  from  the 


52 


LEARNING  TO   READ. 


home  of  the  children,  etc.  Such  observation  lessons  give  the  children 
a  fund  of  material  for  expression,  and  the  lessons  upon  the  board  are 
very  valuable  at  this  time.  All  the  knowledge  gained  in  regard  to  the 
sparrow  will  serve  to  interest  them  in  regard  to  the  robin,  whose 
picture  is  presented  on  page  thirty-eight  (as  well  as  on  page  fifty-nine) 
and  who  returns  again  and  again  to  speak  for  himself. 

Such  a  preparation  for  the 
lesson  will  help  the  pupils 
to  enter  upon  the  reading 
with  zest  and  interest. 
Their  questions  will  be  real 
questions,  and  the  answers 
will  tell  what  they  know  is 
true.  Not  the  least  profit- 
able element  in  the  exercise 
will  be  the  sympathy  with 
bird  life  which  is  developed 
by  the  preliminary  lessons, 
and  continued  in  the  read- 
ing. Already  the  children 
are  beginning  to  read  some- 
thing which  has  a  message 

for  them,  and  they  enter  upon  it  with  a  spirit  which  is  entirely  different 
from  that  which  accompanies  the  reading  of  lessons  that  are  made 
purely  for  the  sake  of  including  the  words  of  their  past  vocabulary. 

In  the  lessons  upon  pages  thirty-eight  and  thirty-nine,  new  words 
are  rare.  Such  as  do  occur  are  repeated,  and  are  easy  to  master 
because  they  are  necessary  to  the  meaning  of  the  text.  Touch  is  a 
word  which  should  not  be  taught  by  sound,  at  this  stage.  Good 
morning  will  be  taught  as  a  single  phrase ;  it  will  return  again  and 
again.  Please  will  also  become  an  old  friend.  Coming  should  be 


THE  FIRST   YEAR  IN   READING.  53 

associated  with  come,  which  the  children  have  already  learned.  It 
will  be  easy  to  increase  this  lesson  indefinitely,  because  the  vocabulary 
is  full  enough  to  admit  of  such  development. 

XII. 

THE   SUBJECTS   OF  THE    LESSONS. 

Reference  was  made  in  the  preceding  section  to  the  language  lesson 
which  should  accompany  the  reading.  It  will  be  noted  that  the  sub- 
jects of  the  lessons  thus  far  have  been  those  with  which  nearly  all 
children  are  familiar.  The  cat,  the  dog,  the  horse,  the  cow,  the  bird, 
the  baby,  are  friends  near  and  dear  to  most  children.  They  have  been 
purposely  selected  because  of  their  inherent  interest,  as  the  children 
already  know  these  old  friends  and  like  to  talk  about  them. 

Page  forty  introduces  the  home,  with  the  mother  and  sister,  the 
garden,  the  flowers,  —  and  leads  the  children  to  a  comparison  between 
their  home  and  the  home  of  the  birds;  the  mother  love  which  they 
know,  and  the  love  which  the  bird  mother  shows  for  her  children. 
A  wise  teacher  will  make  much  of  this  exercise. 

On  page  forty-three  the  well  known  story  of  Mary  and  her  little 
lamb  appears.  This  is  intended  to  be  used  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
nursery  rhymes  which  have  preceded.  Some  of  the  words  as  lingered 
and  eager,  do  not  reappear  in  the  children's  vocabulary.  They  are 
necessary  for  this  reading  merely.  The  lesson  is  not  intended  to  be 
read  before  memorizing,  but  to  be  memorized  before  reading.  The 
exercise  serves  purely  as  an  exercise  in  word  study.  Such  words  as 
lingered  and  eager  should  be  dropped  out  of  the  drill  exercise  as  soon 
as  they  have  served  their  purpose  in  this  lesson. 

The  exercise  on  page  forty-four  is  intended  as  a  test  of  silent 
reading,  the  pupils  being  required  to  read  silently  and  to  give  the 
answers  aloud. 


54  LEARNING   TO   READ. 


XIII. 

THE   STUDY   OF  PICTURES. 

The  lessons  in  the  next  five  pages  speak  of  the  different  homes  of 
different  children.  Here  is  an  opportunity  for  language  lessons,  illus- 
trated by  pictures  which  will  give  the  children  some  notion  of  the 
lives  of  other  children.  The  boy  who  lives  by  the  sea,  the  one  who 
lives  on  the  farm,  and  the  child  whose  home  is  in  the  city,  are  con- 
trasted, and  their  occupations  are  suggested.  Pictures  which  are 
drawn  from  nature,  or  which  interpret  life  under  these  varying  con- 
ditions, should  be  brought  to  the  class,  to  help  the  pupils  to  get  more 
from  their  reading.  Pictures  of  the  farmhouse,  of  farmyards  and  the 
animals  to  be  found  there ;  pictures  of  men  plowing,  or  sowing,  or 
reaping;  scenes  in  the  meadow,  in  the  woods,  on  the  hill,  by  the 
brook,  —  all  these  serve  as  material  for  both  language  and  reading 
lessons,  at  this  stage.  If  the  teacher  is  fortunate  enough  to  have  a 
large  number  of  First  Readers  at  hand,  so  that  she  can  secure  this 
material  without  making  it,  here  is  opportunity  to  use  them  wisely. 
But  the  best  possible  material  is  that  which  she  makes  upon  the  board 
at  the  time  of  the  little  children's  expressed  interest  in  the  subject 
they  have  been  discussing.  Just  such  lessons  should  help  to  interpret 
the  fisherman's  life,  and  the  life  of  the  boy  in  the  city ;  but  the  central 
thought  in  them  all  is  the  thought  of  the  home. 

After  these  lessons,  the  children  should  be  taught  to  sing  "  Home, 
Sweet  Home,"  and  one  stanza  of  the  song  has  been  inserted  on  page 
fifty,  under  the  picture  of  the  old  homestead,  in  order  to  give  them  an 
opportunity  to  see  in  print  the  words  which  they  are  accustomed  to  recite, 
and  to  find  some  words  which  are  already  their  familiar  acquaintance. 
Later,  this  selection  may  be  used  as  the  nursery  rhymes  have  been, 


THE   FIRST   YEAR   IN   READING. 


55 


but  it  will  be  helpful  even  if  it  simply  serves  as  an  exercise  in  finding 
the  familiar  forms. 

The  wise  teacher  will  make  good  use  of  the  picture  which  represents 
the  old  home.  —  What  could  children  do  if  they  lived  in  a  home  like 
that?  What  could  they  play?  What  would  they  see?  How  is  this 
home  different  from  their  home  ? 

Many  of  the  pictures  in  the  book  have  been  prepared,  not  simply  to 
illustrate  the  lesson  in  hand,  but  with  the  thought  of  such  study.  If 
other  pictures  are  not  at  hand,  the  teacher  may  turn  from  page  to  page 
in  the  book  to  find  pictures  that  illustrate  farm  life,  and  life  by  the  sea 
or  in  the  woods. 

XIV. 

STUDY  OF    OCCUPATIONS. 


The  hayfield  and  haymakers  are  introduced  to  the  children  on  page 
fifty-one.  The  home,  half  hidden  among  the  trees,  is  seen  over  the 
brow  of  the  hill;  they  travel  from  the  hill  home  to  the  hayfield,  to 
watch  the  haymakers.  Here  is  the  first  introduction  in  the  book  to  the 
occupations  of  the  men,  about  which  they  will  learn  much  as  they  read. 
On  another  page,  some  suggestions  are  made  in  regard  to  the  observation 


56  LEARNING   TO   READ. 


of  the  work  and  the  workers  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  schools :  the 
farmer,  the  blacksmith,  the  mason,  the  woodcutter,  etc.  This  lesson 
upon  the  haymakers  points  in  the  same  direction,  and  should  be  supple- 
mented and  extended  after  some  observation  of  the  materials  and  the 
occupations  noted  in  the  lesson.  Later,  the  farmer  will  be  studied  in 
the  same  way ;  —  likewise  the  miller,  the  churner,  and  the  blacksmith. 
Every  thoughtful  observation  of  the  outside  life  will  reenforce  the 
reading,  and  help  the  children  to  realize  that  books  are  written  to  teach 
them,  and  to  help  them  to  understand  what  they  see.  The  stronger 
the  relation  of  the  child's  experience  to  his  text  in  reading,  the  more 
helpful  will  the  other  lessons  become. 

On  page  fifty-three,  the  children  begin  the  reading  of  lessons  upon 
the  sun.  They  are  glad  in  the  sunshine,  and  they  talk  about  the 
gifts  of  the  sun ;  they  know  they  are  happier  when  it  is  sunny  than 
when  it  is  cloudy,  dark,  and  dismal.  Their  smiles  are  like  sunshine ; 
they  give  thanks  for  the  sunshine,  and  strive  to  be  sunny  and  glad,  to 
play  that  they  are  sunbeams.  In  this  connection,  a  copy  of  Sir 
Joshua  Reynolds'  beautiful  picture  is  introduced.  The  faces  which  are 
here  pictured  are  so  lovely  that  even  the  children  realize  how  a  child's 
face  serves  to  make  the  world  beautiful. 

On  page  sixty,  the  children  who  have  been  reading  of  making  sun- 
shine have  given  them  the  song  of  the  earth  full  of  music,  with  its 
sunshine.  This  poem  should  be  read  to  them  until  it  is  memorized. 
It  is  intended  as  a  memory  gem,  to  be  taught  in  the  ordinary  way,  and 
to  help  to  emphasize  the  thought  which  the  preceding  lessons  should 
have  given.  With  singing  birds  and  glad  sunshine  there  should  be 
happy  children  to  make  the  world  complete.  The  teacher,  if  she 
chooses,  may  use  the  exercise  for  word  study,  after  the  memorizing ; 
but,  if  the  lessons  have  been  taught  in  the  spirit  which  the  subjects 
suggest,  enough  will  have  been  gained  if  the  poem  is  simply  memorized. 


THE   FIRST   YEAR  IN   READING.  57 

Later  in  the  year,  the  children  may  return  to  it  and  read  it  for  them- 
selves. It  is  introduced  at  this  juncture  because  of  its  helpful 
meaning. 

XV. 

THE   VOWELS. 

On  page  sixty-four,  the  long  sounds  of  the  vowels  are  introduced. 
Hitherto,  stress  has  been  laid  upon  the  short  sounds  simply  because 
they  occur  more  frequently  in  the  early  reading,  and  because  the  long 
sound  introduces  the  difficult  silent  letter.  Now  the  children  have 
had  sufficient  experience  to  distinguish  between  the  different  sounds, 
and  to  name  the  long  sound  and  conquer  the  difficulties  involved  in 
the  use  of  silent  letters  in  their  phonic  analysis.  The  device  which 
has  been  used  to  help  them  memorize  the  vowels  is  very  like  that 
which  was  employed  in  the  alphabetical  word  list.  The  initial  letters 
of  the  names  of  five  girls  are  the  vowels  in  full.  A  for  Ada,  E  for 
Eva,  I  for  Ida,  O  for  Ora,  U  for  Una.  The  initial  sound  of  these 
words  is  the  long  sound  of  the  corresponding  vowel.  The  illustra- 
tions which  accompany  the  lesson  are  an  attractive  feature  of  the 
page.  After  reading  this  page,  the  pupils  may  include  in  their  word 
study  exercises  in  finding  vowels,  and  in  marking  them  as  either  long 
or  short. 

The  exercise  upon  page  sixty-seven  suggests  a  form  of  word  study 
for  the  children.  Words  which  contain  the  same  vowel  sound  are 
collected  in  the  lists.  The  po\ver  to  make  these  lists  indicates  some 
degree  of  comprehension  of  phonic  analysis. 


58  LEARNING  TO  READ. 

XVI. 

GOOD    LITERATURE. 

On  page  sixty-eight,  appears  one  of  Robert  Louis  Stevenson's  charm- 
ing child  poems.  All  children  are  merry  at  the  thought  of  the  good 
cow  who  gives  them  cream  to  eat  with  apple  tart,  but  no  child  will 
dream  how  much  he  is  getting  when  he  memorizes  the  words  of  the 
poem.  Here  he  begins  to  read  for  himself  sqmething  which  is  included 
in  good  literature.  A  plea  for  such  reading  has  been  made  else\vhere. 
Teachers  are  everywhere  recognizing  its  value.  The  vocabulary  of 
the  Reader  if  carefully  collated  would  serve  to  show  that  the  hope 
of  preparing  the  children  to  read  good  literature  has  governed  the 
selections  in  the  book,  from  beginning  to  end. 

Nor  will  the  vocabulary  alone  tell  the  story.  The  fashion  of  a 
sentence  may  be  crude  and  heavy,  even  if  the  words  are  well  chosen. 
But  the  graceful  phrases  of  Stevenson's  poems  are  not  too  difficult  for 
children,  and  the  simple  sentences  of  the  First  Reader,  or  of  the  lesson 
upon  the  board,  may  be  expressed  in  graceful  fashion  and  poetical 
phrase,  and  still  be  entirely  within  the  comprehension  of  the  child. 
Upon  page  seventy-one,  are  written  two  sentences  which  all  lovers 
of  literature  like  to  recall,  and  yet  they  are  simple  enough  for  the 
children's  reading.  In  succeeding  lessons,  the  brook  appears  and  re- 
appears, thus  making  ready  for  Tennyson's  "  Song  of  the  Brook."  It 
should  be  read  to  the  children  after  these  lessons  have  been  read  by 
them.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  teacher  who  uses  this  book  will  read 
to  the  children  from  the  best  of  books,  and  help  them  to  realize  that 
their  mastery  of  the  simple  lessons  is  an  open  sesame  to  these  golden 
fields. 


THE  FIRST  YEAR  IN  READING  59 

XVII. 

SCRIPT   LESSONS. 

The  Script  Lessons  which  are  distributed  through  the  book  are 
intended  to  afford  occupation  for  the  study  period.  They  are  written 
with  clear  and  graceful  type,  and  place  an  excellent  copy  before  the 
children.  On  page  ninety-three,  the  charming  verses  of  Mary  Mapes 
Dodge  are  written  in  script.  They  are  worthy  of  frequent  copying. 


JLuMJU  OAMJ  AMW  ruA^AJ, 


r         p     -     »         o  • 

CLoaxly  "tnxife  uhrudy  jAe/  nrvuAt  dxr. 


MARY  MAPES  DODGE. 

Permission  of  the  Century  Co. 
Publishers  of  ••  5«.  Nicholas." 


60  LEARNING   TO   READ. 


XVIII. 

THE   FABLE. 

Fables  and  folk  stories  are  always  attractive  to  children.  No  other 
form  of  story  is  so  popular.  This  has  ever  been  the  case,  as  the 
long  life  of  the  Fable  testifies.  Some  of  the  best  known  fables 
have  been  put  into  simple  language  for  the  readers  of  this  book,  an 
attempt  having  been  made  to  render  them  in  conversational  style,  so 
that  there  may  be  variety  in  reading  as  well  as  interest  in  the  story. 
The  moral  has  been  put  in  the  form  of  a  proverb  when  possible.  In 
the  fables,  it  has  been  thought  well  to  sacrifice  the  teacher's  ordi- 
nary standard  of  the  vocabulary  to  the  interest  of  the  story  and  the 
style  of  expression.  A  number  of  new  words  appear  in  the  fables. 
To  omit  them,  or  to  substitute  familiar  and  easy  ones,  would  lower 
the  standard  of  expression.  It  is  believed  that  the  children  will  find 
the  fables  worth  mastering  as  they  are  written.  Into  these  stories  some 
expressions  and  phrases  are  introduced  which  purposely  assume  a 
figurative  form.  It  is  time  for  the  children  to  begin  such  reading. 
The  language  of  literature  is  different  from  the  language  of  conversa- 
tion, and  will  ever  be.  The  hare  sped  like  the  wind,  is  more  diffi- 
cult to  master  than  The  hare  ran  fast,  but  it  is  worth  all  it  costs. 

The  folk  story  of  the  "  Mouse  in  the  oven  spinning  blue  wool "  has 
ever  been  a  favorite  with  children.  The  repetition  is"  a  delight  to 
them.  Here  we  make  amends  in  full  for  the  hard  work  in  the  fable ; 
for  the  words  of  the  mouse,  in  the  story,  are  repeated  over  and  over 
again.  What  is  the  secret  of  the  children's  delight  in  this  story? 
The  teacher  who  answers  this  question  will  know  how  to  choose  read- 
ing for  her  pupils. 


THE   FIRST   YEAR  IN   READING.  61 

XIX. 

THE   MISSION    OF   THE   PICTURE. 

In  preparing  this  series  of  books,  no  effort  has  been  spared  to  secure 
reproductions  of  the  best  pictures  that  children  like;  yet  it  may 
happen  that  so  great  emphasis  is  laid  upon  the  reading  of  the  text 
that  the  mission  of  the  picture  will  be  forgotten.  Within  the  First 
Reader  are  included  Millet's  "Churner,"  and  "Feeding  the  Birds," 
Meyer  von  Bremen's  "Little  Nurse,"  and  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds' 
"Angels'  Heads."  The  children  should  talk  about  the  pictures,  tell 
what  they  see  in  them  and  how  they  like  them,  recur  to  them  again 
and  again  as  they  turn  the  pages  of  the  book,  the  teacher  never  passing 
them  without  some  comment  upon  their  beauty. 

Upon  page  105,  the  subject  of  the  lesson  is  the  Mother,  whom  the 
children  love  better  than  any  one  else. 

She  is  the  dearest  mother  in  the  world. 

Her  smile  is  like  the  sunshine. 

Her  voice  is  as  sweet  as  a  song. 

She  is  busy  from  morning  till  night. 

It  is  mother  who  makes  our  dresses. 

It  is  mother  who  gets  our  dinner. 

It  is  mother  who  tells  us  pretty  stories. 

It  is  mother  who  sings  us  pretty  songs. 

It  is  mother  who  loves  us. 

And  we  love  her  with  all  our  hearts. 


THE  FIRST   YEAR  IN   READING.  63 

If  the  teacher  succeeds  in  making  the  children  feel  as  they  ought 
to  feel  when  they  read  this  lesson,  and  when  they  repeat l  "  Hundreds 
of  stars  in  the  pretty  sky,"  —  they  will  be  quite  ready  to  interpret 
the  picture  of  the  artist.  The  three  children  sit  in  the  open  door 
of  the  cottage ;  the  mother  with  the  bowl  in  her  lap  leans  forward 
to  feed  her  children  with  the  wooden  spoon.  How  intent  they  are, 
as  they  eagerly  wait  for  the  coming  food !  The  little  one  in  the 
middle  leans  forward  for  her  portion;  the  others  await  their  turn  in 
eager  confidence.  How  good  the  mother  is,  and  how  the  children  love 
her !  How  she  loves  the  children !  Why  does  the  artist  call  the 
picture  "  Feeding  the  Birds "  ?  The  child  who  can  read  the  lesson 
can  read  the  picture. 

Just  as  this  picture  shows  mother  life,  the  "  Churner "  represents 
the  sturdy  homeliness  of  the  worker,  at  her  common  task.  The  child 
who  reads  the  lesson  can  thank  Elsie  for  making  the  yellow  butter. 
He  begins  to  think  of  the  many  hands  that  are  working  for  him,  and 
to  look  upon  the  honest  laborer  with  honest  respect.  Some  such  feeling 
the  study  of  the  picture  will  add  to  his  lesson ;  and  if  the  teacher 
stops  to  tell  the  children  of  the  artist's  choice  of  subject  and  his  reason 
for  so  choosing,  their  thoughts  will  recur  to  the  lesson  in  days  to  come, 
and  the  picture  will  grow  in  meaning  as  the  children  grow  in  experience. 
Do  not  omit  the  study  of  the  picture. 

1  See  page  105,  First  Reader. 


PAKT   III. 

LANGUAGE  LESSONS  AS  AN  AID  TO 
READING. 


LANGUAGE    LESSONS  AS  AN  AID  TO  READING. 
STUDY   OF   THE   MEANING  OF   WORDS. 

IN  the  preceding  chapters,  reference  has  been  made  to  the  fact  that 
the  child's  experience  largely  determines  his  interpretation  of  the 
reading  lesson.  All  teachers  will  readily  recall  incidents  in  their  own 
class-work  which  will  illustrate  this  truth.  The  child  who  has  never 
seen  the  ocean,  whose  life,  perhaps,  has  been  spent  in  the  mountains, 
will  find  it  difficult  to  picture  the  scenes  which  are  described  in  the 
story  of  "  The  Leak  in  the  Dike."  The  mountain  walls  to  which  he 
has  been  accustomed  are  very  different  from  the  low  level  fields  which 
the  little  Dutch  boy  has  known.  The  wideness  of  the  sea,  its  tides, 
its  mighty  strength,  are  notions  which  may  be  entirely  strange  to  him. 
So,  also,  any  child  who  lives  in  an  inland  village  or  town,  needs  some 
helper  to  make  plain  to  him  the  poems  and  stories  which  describe 
the  life  of  the  sea.  "  The  Wreck  of  the  Hesperus  "  is  written  in  a 


68  LEARNING  TO  READ. 

foreign  tongue  to  him  whose  imagination  has  never  depicted  the  raging 
waves,  the  cruel  rocks,  the  pebbly  beach,  the  bitter  storm,  and  the 
shattered  ship.  As  we  read  the  poem,  every  word  is  filled  with  mean- 
ing because  our  associations  have  enriched  our  lives  with  varied  experi- 
ences. We  have  walked  on  the  beach,  have  climbed  over  the  rocks, 
have  watched  the  vessel  slowly  sinking  from  sight  below  the  distant 
horizon,  have  waited  for  the  steady  advance  of  the  incoming  tide,  and 
heard  the  restless  waters  beating  upon  the  steadfast  rocks.  We  have 
seen  the  stately  vessels  riding  upon  the  still  waters  of  the  bay,  or 
tossing  upon  the  waves  of  the  outer  ocean.  We  have  talked  with  the 
sailors,  and  know  something  of  their  sturdy  lives,  arid  the  fearful 
dangers  to  which  they  are  exposed.  We  know  boys  and  girls  who 
have  sailed  with  their  fathers  on  long  voyages.  All  this  knowledge 
illuminates  the  poem,  and  fills  it  with  meaning  for  us.  Bereft  of 
this  experience,  we  should  fail  to  catch  the  beauty  of  the  poet's  de- 
scription or  to  read  his  meaning  in  the  familiar  lines.  It  requires 
some  effort  of  the  imagination  to  enable  us  to  conceive  how  little 
Emerson's  snowstorm  would  say  to  us  if  our  eyes  had  never  beheld 
the  gathering  storm,  "  announced  by  all  the  trumpets  of  the  sky." 
Bryant's  "  Fringed  Gentian  "  is  written  for  those  whose  eyes  have 
delighted  in  the  exquisite  beauty  of  the  autumn  blossom.  "  The 
Death  of  the  Flowers  "  must  be  interpreted  by  him  who  knows  the 
windnower  and  the  violet,  the  aster  and  the  golden  rod.  The 
perfect  picture  of  June,  in  Lowell's  "  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal,"  is  visible 
only  to  him  whose  eyes  have  seen  the  buttercup  catching  "the  sun 
in  its  chalice  "  and  whose  ears  have  been  attuned  to  the  music  of  the 
bird  whose  "  illumined  being  "  overruns  "  with  the  deluge  of  summer 
it  receives." 

The  experience  of  the  children  is  akin  to  our  own.  Whatever  they 
read  is  interpreted  by  what  they  have  seen  and  heard  and  felt.  Many 
a  word  which  seems  to  us  so  simple  and  common  that  we  pass  it  un- 


LANGUAGE   LESSONS   AS  AN   AID    TO    READING.  69 

challenged  in  our  teaching,  stands  apart  from  all  experience  in  the 
children's  lives,  calls  up  no  notions  in  their  minds,  fails  altogether 
to  contribute  to  the  meaning  of  the  story  which  they  are  reading. 
However  simple  the  lesson  may  be,  the  word  which  represents  no  idea 
to  the  child,  is  a  stumbling-block  and  hinders  the  thought  getting. 
It  is  utterly  idle  to  insist  upon  the  mere  repetition  of  the  word  which 
serves  in  no  degree  to  enlighten  the  child.  The  teacher  who  attempts 
to  explain  its  meaning  may  contribute  little  to  his  enlightenment. 
The  explanation  is  often  given  in  terms  which  are  quite  as  unintelligi- 
ble as  the  original  word.  One  bit  of  experience  is  worth  a  thousand 
explanations.  A  summer  day  in  the  country  does  more  to  interpret 
Lowell's  picture  of  the  day  in  June  than  would  a  hundred  folios  on 
the  subject  if  the  reader  had  never  seen  the  fields  and  the  flowers. 
Just  so,  the  child  who  is  to  read  about  the  chicken,  the  cow,  the 
tortoise,  the  oak,  the  violet,  the  frost,  must  gain  his  insight  through 
sight.  Lessons  which  supply  the  experience  to  those  who  have  never 
had  it,  or  which  recall  the  forgotten  experience  so  that  it  illumines  the 
text,  are  legitimate  reading  lessons.  Indeed,  they  are  indispensable. 

It  is  therefore  the  duty  of  the  teacher  to  discover  in  what  lines  the 
child  is  ignorant,  and  to  help  him  to  increase  his  knowledge  therein. 
This  increase  must  come  through  actual  seeing  and  doing  on  his  part, 
as  has  been  said.  Observation  lessons  whose  object  is  to  lead  the 
children  to  new  knowledge,  are  not  only  useful  in  developing  facility 
in  expression  and  keenness  in  observing,  but  also  in  preparing  the 
pupils  to  read  the  pages  in  which  these  objects  are  described.  If  the 
object  which  figures  in  the  lesson  is  unattainable  as  well  as  unknown, 
the  picture  may  suffice.  If  this  is  not  to  be  secured,  the  teacher's 
explanation  may  be  made  to  suffice  —  as  a  last  resort. 

It  should  not  be  forgotten,  however,  that  the  child's  doing  is  much 
more  potent  than  the  teacher's  telling  —  nor  that  the  description  which 
seems  clear  to  the  teacher  may  be  obscure  to  the  child.  "  What  are  the 


70  LEARNING   TO   READ. 


ornaments  in  the  room?"  questioned  a  pupil  just  learning  the  language. 
"  Oh,  the  knickknacks,"  replied  the  teacher.  The  pupil  was  quite  as 
much  in  the  dark  as  before  his  question.  The  explanation  must  be 
couched  in  terms  of  the  learner's  experience,  and  must  take  full  account 
of  his  limitations.  If  this  simple  principle  were  always  followed,  much 
of  the  misdirected  energy  and  the  consequent  tedium  of  the  schoolroom 
would  be  spared. 

Applying  this  principle  to  the  work  with  the  little  children,  we 
shall  conclude  that  lessons  on  things  must  contribute  to  the  power  to 
interpret  the  words  which  represent  thought  and  experience.  Lan- 
guage lessons,  observation  lessons,  field  lessons,  etc.  will  become 
familiar  features  in  the  series  of  lessons  which  aim  to  teach  children  to 
read. 

In  the  primary  Readers  which  this  manual  accompanies,  the  objects 
described  are  selected  with  reference  to  the  interests  of  ordinary 
children,  as  they  have  been  carefully  studied.  The  further  purpose  has 
been  to  interest  children  in  their  environment,  in  nature  and  human 
nature.  A  running  glance  will  discover  the  lines  which  have  been 
chosen,  and  the  kind  of  contributing  lessons  which  are  desirable.  The 
following  lists  name  forms  of  animal  and  plant  life,  natural  forces,  and 
minerals,  to  which  reference  is  made  in  the  primary  Readers,  with 
allusions  to  the  common  occupations  of  men. 


LANGUAGE    LESSONS    AS    AN    AID    TO    READING. 


71 


ANIMALS. 

FIRST 

READER. 

dog 

robin 

ox 

tortoise 

cow 

bluebird 

lamb 

fish 

cat 

oriole 

sheep 

worms 

mouse 

eggs 

wool 

shells 

hen 

goat 

squirrel 

bee 

chickens 

horse 

fox 

butterfly 

SECOND 

READER. 

goose 

sparrows 

stag 

trout 

turkey 

blue  jay 

hound 

quail 

crow 

kid 

rabbit 

flies 

eagle 

wolf 

donkey 

ant 

crane 

bear 

frog 

grasshopper 

dove 

lion 

turtle 

sponges 

THIRD 

READER. 

pigeons 

crow 

curlew 

salmon 

woodpecker 

raven 

sandpiper 

beetle 

swallows 

wren 

toads 

spaniel 

blackbird 

duck 

vipers 

hedgehog 

72 


LEARNING  TO   READ. 


PLANT  LIFE. 

FIRST   READER. 

tree 

pine                     windflower 

corn 

orchard 

oak                      violet 

tassel 

apples 

acorn                  snowdrop 

ears 

branches 

pussy  willow     asters 

husks 

roots 

lily                      dandelion 

wheat 

maple 

rose                     clover 

vine 

SECOND    READER. 

grapes 

bramble          beans 

hawthorn 

blueberries 

weeds              peas 

cedar 

fig 

nuts                lettuce 

daisies 

raisins 

peanuts          radishes 

columbine 

chestnut 

hazel               fir  tree 

elder-bloom 

THIRD  READER. 

olive  trees 

marigolds     morning-glories     flax 

birch 

tulips             anemone 

spices 

tamarack 

peonies          fern 

cucumber 

holly 

poppy           beeches 

onions 

sycamore 

hyacinth       burdock 

potatoes 

LANGUAGE   LESSONS  AS  AN  AID   TO   READING. 


73 


OCCUPATIONS. 

FIRST   READER. 

farming          churning          spinning          blacksmith 


SECOND    READER. 


fishing 

weaving 

mowing 


threshing        fuller 
shearing          soldier 
sexton  statesman 


author 

artist 

charcoal-burner 


woodman 
ditcher 


THIRD    READER. 


gleaner 
tailor 


engineer 
miller 


sailor 
merchant 


sun 


sky 
clouds 


NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

FIRST   READER. 

rainbow  rain  wind 

stars  snow  northwind 

showers  dewdrops         spring 


74  LEARNING   TO   READ. 


SECOND   READER. 

moon  hail  Jack  Frost  mountain 

dawn  icicles  summer  hill 

night  lake  winter  valley 

reflection  in  the  water 

THIRD   READER. 

storm  echo  freshet  fountain 

MINERALS, 
gold  pearls  coal  salt  diamonds 

It  is  not  expected  that  the  teacher's  plan  will  include  an  exhaustive 
study  of  all  the  facts  and  objects  suggested.  But  it  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary that  the  children  should  have  some  clear  and  general  notion  of  the 
meaning  of  the  words  used,  so  that  their  reading  will  be  intelligent,  the 
words  truly  representing  ideas  to  their  minds.  The  accompanying 
lessons  are  intended  to  suggest  and  illustrate  types  of  lessons  which 
should  accompany  lessons  in  reading,  whenever  the  pupil's  knowledge 
is  so  limited  as  to  hinder  the  process  of  thought  getting.  It  should  not 
be  forgotten  that  the  teacher  must  be  the  best  judge  as  to  the  best  selec- 
tion of  subjects  for  her  own  class.  Further,  the  teacher  will  recognize 
that  any  of  these  lessons  may  serve  to  reenforce  her  teaching  in  lan- 
guage, drawing,  or  nature  study,  as  well  as  reading. 


PART  IV. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  LESSONS. 

OBSERVATION,  LANGUAGE,  AND  PREPARATION  FOR 

READING. 


iv. 

CHAPTER   V. 


i. 

LESSON    UPON    THE    COW. 

TO  precede  or  accompany  Reading  Lessons  which  refer  to  the  cow. 
(in  lowest  grades) 

I.    Find  out  what  the  children  know  about  the  cow. 
Every  new  lesson  should  be  built  upon,  and  fastened  to,  the  child's 
past  experience.     If  the  children  have  no  knowledge  of  cows,  we  must 


78  LEARNING   TO   READ. 

introduce  the  subject  accordingly.  If  they  have  always  known  them, 
the  lesson  will  be  merely  a  review,  because  the  foundation  will  have 
been  prepared.  If  the  children  live  in  the  country  and  know  the 
common  animals,  proceed  at  once  to  definite  questions  which  will 
arrange  their  knowledge  and  help  them  to  express  it. 

Where  have  you  seen  cows?  What  do  you  know  about  them, — 
their  size,  color,  the  head,  ears,  legs,  feet,  tail? 

How  large  are  they,  as  compared  with  the  horse,  dog,  cat  ? 

Compare  the  covering  with  that  of  the  horse,  dog,  cat.  Compare  the 
parts  with  the  corresponding  parts  of  those  animals. 

Describe  the  horns.  Why  do  cows  have  horns  ?  What  use  do  they 
make  of  them  ? 

Describe  the  ears.  Where  are  they?  Does  the  cow  move  them? 
(The  ears  of  the  dog,  cat,  cow,  horse  are  movable ;  ours  are  not. 
Why?) 

Compare  the  cow's  nose  and  mouth  with  those  of  the  cat  or  the 
horse. 

Does  any  one  know  anything  about  the  cow's  teeth?  What  does  she 
eat?  What  kind  of  teeth  does  she  need? 

Tell  the  children  about  the  chewing  of  the  cud. 

Of  what  use  to  the  cow  is  the  long  tail  with  its  brush  at  the  end  ? 
Who  has  seen  her  use  it  ?  Would  a  short  tail  serve  as  well  ? 

Who  knows  anything  about  the  cow's  foot  ?  Who  can  draw  a  picture 
of  the  cow's  footprint? 

Of  what  use  are  cows  to  us  ?     What  does  the  cow  give  to  us  ? 

How  should  cows  be  cared  for?  What  kind  of  stall,  what  kind  of 
bed,  what  food,  water,  pasture,  should  they  have  ?  Describe  a  pasture 
you  would  like  if  you  were  a  cow. 

How  ought  we  to  treat  animals?  Is  it  right  to  forget  their  wants 
when  we  have  the  care  of  them  ? 


ILLUSTRATIVE   LESSONS.  79 

Every  lesson  upon  animals  should  help  the  children  to  realize  more 
fully  their  obligation  to  properly  care  for  them.  Sympathy  for  animal 
life  ought  to  be  developed  through  the  reading  and  language  lessons. 
Interest  in  animal  life  is  always  present  in  children.  The  questions 
above  suggested  cannot  be  answered  at  once,  by  any  ordinary  class  of 
children.  Many  who  are  familiar  with  cows  in  general  will  be  unable 
to  answer  the  definite  questions.  The  questions  will  lead  them  to  a 
more  careful  observation,  after  which  they  can  report  in  another  lesson. 
Sometimes  the  questions  may  be  distributed,  different  groups  of  children 
being  held  responsible  for  the  answers  to  certain  ones. 

II.    Direct  outside  observation  in  order  to  get  new  knowledge. 

It  is  entirely  feasible,  in  many  schoolrooms,  to  make  the  cow  the  sub- 
ject of  a  field  lesson.  The  children  may  be  taken,  in  groups,  to  a  farm- 
yard, a  pasture,  or  a  stable,  where  a  cow  may  be  observed  and  studied. 
Such  lessons  have  ceased  to  be  formidable,  since  they  have  become  so 
common.  The  need  of  such  visits  is  revealed  by  the  children's  vague 
answers.  Nothing  but  definite  observation  of  the  real  thing  will  open 
their  eyes,  and  make  the  words  in  their  lesson  full  of  meaning. 

There  are  many  city  children  who  have  never  seen  a  cow.  If  it  is 
impossible  to  show  them  a  real  cow,  excellent  pictures  should  be  sub- 
stituted. Many  of  the  questions  suggested  could  be  answered  by  pic- 
tures. It  must  be  remembered,  however,  that  the  picture  tells  to  us, 
who  have  seen  the  real  thing,  much  more  than  it  tells  to  a  child,  who 
has  never  had  that  experience.  It  is  not  strange  that  a  child  who  has 
never  seen  a  real  cow  should  imagine  that  animal  to  be  six  inches  long, 
the  size  of  the  cow  which  he  has  known  from  pictures  in  the  lesson. 
Emphasize  the  fact  of  the  size.  Allude  to  the  picture  as  a  picture  only. 
Have  the  children  show  by  their  hands  how  high  a  cow  would  be,  how 
long,  how  wide  its  head,  etc.  By  such  means,  help  to  vivify  the  mental 
picture  which  is  suggested  to  the  child  by  the  lesson.  If  the  pictures 
are  the  only  avenues  through  which  the  children  learn  about  the  cow, 


80  LEARNING   TO   READ. 


do  not  attempt  to  give  as  much  information  as  would  naturally  be  asso- 
ciated with  the  real  observation  lesson.  Remember  that  the  amount  of 
knowledge  which  the  child  gains  is  not  proportioned  to  the  number  of 
facts  enumerated  by  the  teacher.  He  will  intelligently  appropriate 
those  which  his  observation  and  thought  have  helped  him  to  understand. 
As  has  been  said  before,  this  truth  determines  the  value  of  the  reading 
lesson  to  the  child,  and  necessitates  the  associated  lessons  which  supple- 
ment his  experience  and  enable  him  to  bring  to  the  lesson  a  mind  fur- 
nished with  appropriate  ideas. 

III.  Tell  the  children  simple  facts  which  they  cannot  find  out  for 
themselves. 

There  are  many  facts  associated  with  the  cow  which  the  children 
can  know  only  through  others :  the  use  of  the  horns,  of  the  bones,  the 
hair,  etc. ;  the  manufactures ;  the  reason  for  the  cud-chewing ;  —  the 
making  of  butter  and  cheese.  The  writer  has  known  classrooms 
in  which  milk  was  skimmed,  the  cream  churned  into  butter,  and  the 
butter  eaten  by  the  children.  The  quantity,  of  course,  was  small,  but 
the  process  was  very  real  and  very  interesting.  This  happened  recently 
in  a  kindergarten  in  the  city.  There  were  only  three  children  in  the 
class  who  had  ever  seen  a  cow.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that 
the  lesson  followed  a  visit  to  that  animal. 

IV.  Reenforce  the  lessons  by  stories. 

Stories  about  cows,  or  descriptions  of  certain  animals,  perhaps  the 
pets  which  we  have  known,  will  add  interest  to  the  lessons. 

V.  Collect  pictures  of  cows,  for  comparison  and  description. 

In  almost  any  district  the  children  will  be  able  to  help  in  making 
collections  of  pictures  which  illustrate  the  language  and  reading  lesson. 
These  pictures  can  be  obtained  from  newspapers,  magazines,  adver- 
tisements, and  various  other  sources.  Every  child  who  helps  to  swell 
the  collection  will  feel  an  added  interest  in  it.  The  collection  will  be 
valuable  in  proportion  as  it  is  carefully  arranged  and  thoughtfully 


ILLUSTRATIVE   LESSONS.  81 

used  by  the  teacher.  If  the  cards  are  neatly  mounted  upon  separate 
sheets  which  contain  the  name  of  the  contributor,  and  distributed 
amongst  the  children  for  observation  and  comparison,  it  will  prove 
really  helpful.  Through  the  comparison  of  the  different  pictures,  many 
facts  will  be  developed,  suggested  by  the  children's  comments  or 
questions.  Such  teaching  will  be  sure  to  fit  the  needs  of  the  children. 
These  suggestions  will  be  modified  and  arranged  by  any  teacher  who 
desires  to  use  them.  They  may  help  to  point  the  way  for  those  who 
are  not  entirely  familiar  with  this  phase  of  their  work. 

II. 

LESSON    UPON    THE    OAK. 

As  in  the  lesson  upon  the  cow,  the  teacher's  first  object  should  be 
to  discover  what  the  children  already  know.  Nearly  all  children, 
even  those  living  in  cities  or  towns,  have  some  opportunity  to  see 
and  study  trees,  and  their  attention  should  be  carefully  directed  to 
those  about  them. 

Have  you  ever  seen  an  oak  tree  ?  Where  was  it  growing  ?  How 
tall  was  it?  (Compare  with  a  man,  a  horse,  a  house  ;  with  other  trees.) 

What  do  you  remember  about  the  size  of  its  trunk  ?  About  the  bark, 
about  the  leaves,  about  the  fruit  ? 

Bring  to  the  class  acorns,  leaves,  or,  in  blossom  time,  bring  blossoms. 

What  is  the  use  of  the  blossom,  the  leaf,  the  acorn  ? 

Draw  them. 

Plant  an  acorn  and  see  what  comes  of  it. 

(Patient  and  continued  observation.) 

Of  what  use  is  the  oak  tree  to  us?  (Do  not  forget  that  beauty  as 
well  as  manufacturing  is  to  be  considered.) 

Name  articles  made  of  oak. 

6 


82 


LEARNING   TO   READ. 


Bring  specimens  of  the  wood. 

The  older  pupils  can  draw  the  tree. 

Tell  the  children  about  the  Charter  Oak. 

Take  them,  if  possible,  to  a  field,  or  wood  or  park  or  street  where 
they  can  see  an  oak  growing. 

Refer  to  the  lesson  some  weeks  afterwards,  in  order  to  lead  to  con- 
tinued observation  of  the  tree  in  different  stages. 

Do  not  feel  that  it  is  necessary  to  do  all  which  the  lesson  suggests 
with  every  class,  but  be  sure  that  the  children  have  some  actual 
knowledge  of  an  actual  oak  tree. 


ILLUSTRATIVE   LESSONS.  83 

III. 

LESSONS    UPON    OCCUPATIONS. 

Frequent  reference  is  made,  in  all  literature,  to  the  occupations  of 
men.  Even  if  this  were  not  the  case,  a  knowledge  of  these  occupations 
is  necessary  to  even  a  fair  education.  Every  child  should  have  some 
intelligent  knowledge  of  the  work  of  the  farmer,  the  miller,  the  car- 
penter, the  bricklayer,  the  engineer,  the  miner,  the  merchant.  But,  be 
this  as  it  may,  the  pages  of  the  school  Reader,  will  demand  some  knowl- 
edge of  the  every  day  occupations  of  men. 

Children  are  naturally  interested  in  the  occupations  of  their  neigh- 
bors. They  like  to  see  things  made.  They  like  to  know  why  certain 
effects  come  from  certain  causes.  Nothing  could  be  more  fruitful  than 
a  visit  to  a  blacksmith  shop,  a  new  house  that  is  being  built,  a  sewer 
that  is  being  dug,  a  cellar  that  is  being  laid ;  to  a  ropewalk,  to  a  mine, 
to  a  quarry,  where  real  men  are  engaged  in  real  work.  The  natural 
interest  of  children  in  these  subjects  is  evidenced  by  their  desire  to 
"  play  "  the  miller,  the  farmer,  the  driver,  the  boatman,  etc.  We  do 
well  when  we  build  upon  this  natural  interest.  "  The  Village  Black- 
smith "  is  a  familiar  poem  based  upon  a  common  experience.  As  has 
been  said,  the  children  who  know  something  about  the  work  of  the 
blacksmith  will  enjoy  and  understand  the  poem  as  no  others  can.  Ask 
them  to  go  to  a  blacksmith  and  then  to  report ;  or  go  with  a  class  of 
children,  and  help  them  to  observe  and  question.  The  blacksmith  will 
be  courteous  and  generous  if  he  is  courteously  requested  to  give  his  aid 
to  the  children.  Prepare  them  for  the  lesson  by  a  preliminary  talk 
about  the  blacksmith,  his  work,  the  need  of  his  work :  his  tools,  the 
material  with  which  he  works,  the  sources  from  which  iron  is  obtained, 
the  process  by  which  steel  is  made.  Having  prepared  the  children  to 
observe,  assign  questions  or  topics  upon  which  they  are  to  report :  the 


84 


LEARNING  TO   READ. 


anvil,  the  forge,  the  sledge,  the  bellows,  the  horseshoe,  etc.  Upon 
their  return  from  the  visit,  allow  the  different  pupils  to  tell  what 
they  have  seen.  After  the  general  conversation,  insist  upon  an  orderly 
description. 

Kindred  lessons  may  be  given  upon  the  other  occupations  suggested. 
In  many  cases  stories  can  be  told  or  read,  which  will  reenforce  the 
observation.  It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  one  result  of  the  lessons 
should  be  a  sincere  respect  for  honest  toil,  and  a  pride  in  the  ability  to 
do  honest  work  well.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  the  visit  to  the 
blacksmith's  shop  will  reenforce  the  reading,  and  that  a  study  of  Long- 
fellow's poem  will,  in  turn,  make  the  visit  more  valuable.  The  lan- 
guage lesson  will  help  the  reading  lesson  because  it  adds  interest ;  it 
will  also  help  the  lesson  as  literature,  because  it  gives  fuller  power  of 
interpretation  and  corresponding  appreciation  of  the  poem.  All  these 
lessons  will  be  made  more  valuable  by  the  use  of  collections  of  pictures. 

RAIN. 

FOR    SECOND    GRADE. 


Observation  during  a  rain. 

What  is  rain  ? 

Where  does  it  come  from? 


ILLUSTRATIVE   LESSONS. 


How  did  it  get  there  ? 

Experiment  later,  if  the  children  become  interested  in  the  question. 
Do  not  answer  it  for  them  now.  Let  them  question  and  think. 

Upon  which  windows  does  it  fall  ? 

Why  not  upon  the  opposite  windows  ? 

Where  does  it  go  ? 

What  good  will  it  do  ? 

Think  what  the  rain  does  for  the  trees.     How  do  you  know  ? 

What  does  it  do  for  the  birds  ?     How  do  you  know  ? 

What  does  it  do  for  the  flowers  ?     How  do  you  know  ? 

What  does  it  do  for  you  ? 

If  no  rain  were  to  fall  for  three  months,  what  would  happen  to  the 
flowers,  to  the  grass,  to  the  gardens,  to  the  brooks  ? 

Would  it  make  any  difference  to  you  ? 

Experiment  :  — 

Breathe  upon  the  cold  glass.     Show  condensed  vapor. 

Boil  water  :  collect  vapor  on  cold  surface. 

Recall  vapor  on  windows. 

Recall  clothes  drying. 

Recall  windows  on  washing  day. 

Explain  how  fine  particles  of  water  are  carried  through  the  air,  unite 
so  as  to  be  seen  when  cold,  —  in  breath,  on  windows,  in  clouds,  in  fog. 

Explain  how  rainfall  is  caused. 

Read  "  Children  of  the  Clouds." 

Memorize  "  Is  it  Raining,  Little  Flower  ?  " 

Read  to  the  children  «  A  Rainy  Day  "  (Longfellow). 

Tell  the  story  of  the  drop  of  water  in  its  journey  from  ocean  to  ocean 
again. 

Ask  them  to  reproduce  the  story. 


LEARNING  TO   READ. 


IV. 

LESSONS   ON    BIRD   LIFE. 

The  study  of  birds  has  become  so  common  a  feature  of  school  Vork, 
that  suggestions  on  the  subject  may  be  trite  and  superfluous.  For 
those  teachers  who  have  not  yet  attempted  such  study,  the  following 
practical  suggestions  may  be  helpful. 

All  children  are  interested  in  animal  life,  but  few  city  children  have 
more  than  a  vague  notion  of  the  habits  and  characteristics  of  the 
animals  of  which  they  read.  Not  long  ago  the  writer  chanced  to  hear 
a  class  of  primary  children  reading  about  the  hen.  The  exercise  was 
hesitating,  the  reading  dubious.  Upon  questioning,  it  was  found  that 
but  three  children  in  the  class  had  ever  seen  a  live  hen,  and  in  two  of 
these  cases  the  hen  was  "  nailed  up  in  a  box  in  the  market."  One  child 
only  had  seen  a  hen  walking  about,  and  that  was  in  "  Tim  Jones's  alley." 
Obviously  the  sentences  which  had  seemed  so  luminous  to  the  teacher 
were  dark  to  the  children. 

Such  experiences  are  not  confined  to  city  children.  Wide  experience 
has  discovered  many  a  country  child  whose  eyes  have  never  been  truly 
opened  to  the  life  about  him.  It  is  safe  to  assume  that  any  class  of 
little  children  will  profit  by  any  lesson  which  increases  their  interest 
in  the  bird  world,  and  opens  their  eyes  to  see  new  beauties  and  their 
minds  to  receive  new  pictures,  and  which  incidentally  explains  the 
pages  that  otherwise  are  meaningless. 

For  such  preliminary  study,  the  best  beginning  is  the  observation  of 
some  caged  bird,  which  can  be  kept  within  reach  for  awhile.  A  canary, 
a  parrot,  a  dove,  a  hen,  a  duck,  will  behave  well  in  the  schoolroom,  may 
be  cared  for  by  the  pupils,  and  studied  for  several  days,  and  will  serve 
as  a  center  from  which  new  investigations  may  radiate,  or  as  a  type  to 
which  all  new  bird-knowledge  may  be  referred.  The  canary  or  parrot 


ILLUSTRATIVE   LESSONS.  87 

(;NI  be  brought  in  its  own  house.  For  the  others  a  dwelling  place  may 
be  extemporized.  A  box  frame  may  be  built,  open  on  all  sides,  and 
covered  with  coarse  win-  netting,  or,  better,  with  fencing.  Or  the  one 
side  may  be  removed  from  a  wooden  box  of  suitable  size,  and  netting  be 
substituted  for  it.  The  children  should  be  able  to  watch  the  bird  as 
it  eats,  drinks,  walks  or  flies  about,  and  should  be  allowed  at  first  to 
observe  without  the  restriction  of  question  or  recitation. 

The  conversation  of  the  pupils,  their  exclamations  and  questions, 
will  reveal  the  best  line  of  approach  to  the  subject.  It  will  be  found 
that  their  chief  interest  centers  in  the  actions  of  the  bird.  "  See  him 
eat !  "  "  How  fast  he  turns  the  seed ! "  "  See  the  shells  fly  !  "  "  How 
he  spatters  the  water  !  "  "  Oh,  he  's  washing  himself  I  "  Such  are  the 
free  comments  of  the  children. 

Let  these  determine  the  first  lesson. 

You  have  been  watching  the  canary,  what  have  you  seen  him  do  ? 
\Vh;iL  can  he  do  that  you  do?  What  can  he  do  that  you  cannot  do? 

'\ 'In -se  question*  oannot  be  answered  without  actual  knowledge.  If 
the  replies  are  written  upon  the  board,  it  will  be  discovered  that  the 
children  have  added  definitely  to  their  store  of  knowledge,  and  likewise 
to  their  vocabulary. 

Another  oomreraation  may  compare  the  cat  and  the  canary,  the  cow 
and  the  canary,  or  fa  very  different  exercise)  may  note  the  resemblances 
and  diff. -n -ne< •>  between  the  canary  and  other  birds  with  which  the 
children  are  somewhat  familiar.  This  comparison  leads  to  observation 
of  the  struct  ure,  to  naming  and  describing  the  parts  of  the  canary. 

"The  canary  can  ily  because  he  has  wings.  We  have  no  wings 
but  we  have  arms.  The  cat  has  no  win^s  but  she  has  two  fore-legs." 
So  the  comparison  prneeeds  to  h«-ad.  eyes,  bill,  feet,  until  the  children 
are  ready  to  describe  the  bird  in  elear  and  appropriate  language. 

Another  talk  compares    the    habits    of   the    bird  with    those   ,,f   th- 
and  dog,  and  leads  to  descriptions  of  the  Q68t«,  the  eggs,  the  home  habits 


B8  LEARNING   TO   READ. 


of  the  bird  with  the  rearing  of  the  young.  The  lessons  prepare  for  the 
reading,  to  be  sure,  but  this  value  is  incidental  only,  as  compared  with 
the  evident  interest  and  the  growing  power  of  the  children  in  thinking, 
seeing,  and  saying. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  keep  a  record  of  the  words  used,  or  needed, 
by  the  children  in  such  lessons,  to  collect  them  afterwards,  and  to  dis- 
cover what  proportion  of  the  list  of  words  is  included  in  the  ordinary 
stock  vocabulary  of  elementary  readers.  Such  a  study  would  reveal 
to  any  intelligent  teacher  the  close  relation  between  experience  and 
reading,  and  would  fully  justify  the  plan  of  work  outlined  in  these 
pages. 

It  may  be  well  to  add  in  passing  that  such  a  series  of  lessons  serves 
as  a  basis  to  which  all  related  lessons  may  be  referred.  When  the 
children  read  about  the  oriole  or  the  robin,  he  is  compared  with  the 
canary,  and  the  old  lesson  explains  and  reenforces  the  new.  The  value 
of  such  lessons  depends  upon  the  teacher's  recognition  of  this  relation. 
The  children  need  not  know  the  skeleton  of  her  plan,  but  she  must 
know  the  end  from  the  beginning. 

v. 

STUDY   OF   "THE    BUILDERS."  — LONGFELLOW. 
Preparation  for  the  Poem. 

If  the  readers  are  young  children,  it  would  be  well  to  prepare  for 
the  reading  of  the  poem  by  a  lesson  upon  the  material  building.  It  is 
possible  that  the  carpenters  and  masons  are  already  at  work  in  the 
immediate  neighborhood  of  the  schoolhouse.  The  children  have  been 
interested  in  watching  the  digging  of  the  cellar,  the  laying  of  the 
foundation  stone,  the  fixing  of  the  frame  in  position,  the  laying 
of  the  walls.  A  little  questioning  and  observation  will  lead  them 


ILLUSTRATIVE   LESSONS.  89 

to  see  how  necessary  it  is  to  the  strength  of  the  building  that 
every  part  be  well  shaped  and  firmly  placed.  There  may  be  unfortu- 
nate examples  in  their  neighborhood  which  show  the  folly  of  dishonest 
building.  They  may  easily  be  led  to  realize  what  harm  may  result 
from  slighting  any  piece  of  work,  or  falsely  covering  any  weakness. 
Anecdotes  are  abundant  to  illustrate  this :  the  bridge  which  gives  way 
beneath  the  weight  of  the  passing  train,  carrying  hundreds  to  death ; 
the  dam  which  has  weak  timber,  yielding  to  the  pressure  of  the 
freshet;  the  elevator  which  falls  with  its  precious  load.  These  point 
to  building  which  was  insecure  and  treacherous.  For  the  other  side  of 
the  picture,  we  turn  to  the  old  cathedrals,  showing  the  children  the 
beautiful  spires,  the  exquisite  carving,  and  telling  them  how  they 
have  endured  through  the  ages  because  their  builders  did  honest 
work. 

Such  a  lesson  prepares  for  the  interpretation  of  the  poem,  which 
turns  our  thought  to  the  building  which  we  are  shaping  with  our  to- 
days and  yesterdays.  The  lessons  of  the  unstable  wall,  the  falling 
bridge,  as  well  as  the  grace  and  strength  of  the  cathedral,  serve  now 
as  a  parallel  for  the  poet's  teaching,  and  the  inevitable  result  to  others 
is  seen  as  well  as  felt  when  we  read  of  the  "  broken  stairways,  where 
the  feet  stumble  as  they  seek  to  climb."  After  such  lessons,  every 
line  is  filled  with  meaning  as  the  children  read  and  re-read  the 
inspiring  poem.  Then  it  is  time  to  memorize  every  line,  but  especially 
the  two  stanzas, — 

"  In  the  elder  days  of  art, 

Builders  wrought  with  greatest  care 
Each  minute  and  unseen  part ; 
For  the  gods  see  everywhere. 

"  Let  us  do  our  work  as  well, 

Both  the  unseen  and  the  seen  : 
Make  the  house,  where  gods  may  dwell, 
Beautiful,  entire,  and  clean." 


90  LEARNING   TO   READ. 


It  is  not  necessary  to  preach  while  teaching  this  poem.  The  lesson 
impresses  itself  upon  the  children  if  they  are  rightly  prepared  for  it. 
They  will  make  their  own  application,  but  we  should  not  forget  that 
a  valuable  lesson  like  this  is  not  measured  by  ease  in  recitation  or 
accuracy  in  reading.  If,  in  the  days  to  come,  the  memory  of  the  poet's 
words  shall  give  strength  in  the  hour  of  temptation,  or  incite  to  honest 
work  when  the  hand  inclines  to  careless  shirking,  the  lesson  will  have 
counted  for  good.  In  selecting  the  poems  for  our  children,  and  in 
directing  their  reading,  such  hope  should  guide  our  choice.  The  words 
of  the  poem  or  the  story  will  recur  again  and  again  when  the  memory 
of  the  schoolroom  has  faded.  We  should  be  assured  that  the  minds  of 
our  pupils  are  furnished  with  thoughts  worth  remembering.  "  What- 
soever things  are  lovely,  whatsoever  things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things 
are  of  good  report,  if  there  be  any  virtue,  and  if  there  be  any  praise, 
think  on  these  things." 

VI. 

STUDY   OF  A    POEM. 

Illustrative   Lesson. 

LITTLE   BELL. 

Piped  the  blackbird  on  the  beechwood  spray, 
"  Pretty  maid,  slow  wandering  this  way, 

What 's  your  name  ?  "  quoth  he,  — 
"  What 's  your  name  ?     Oh,  stop,  and  straight  unfold, 
Pretty  maid,  with  showery  curls  of  gold  I " 

"  Little  Bell,"  said  she. 

Little  Bell  sat  down  beneath  the  rocks, 
Tossed  aside  her  gleaming  golden  locks. 


ILLUSTRATIVE   LESSONS. 


91 


u  Bonny  bird,"  quoth  she, 
"  Sing  me  your  best  song,  before  I  go." 
"Here  's  the  very  finest  song  I  know, 

Little  Bell,"  said  he. 

And  the  blackbird  piped ;  you  never  heard 
Half  so  gay  a  song  from  any  bird,  — 

Full  of  quips  and  wiles, 
Now  so  round  and  rich,  now  soft  and  slow, 

Dimpled  o'er  with  smiles. 


And  the  while  the  bonny  bird  did  pour 
His  full  heart  out  freely,  o'er  and  o'er, 

'Neath  the  morning  skies, 
In  the  little  childish  heart  below 
All  the  sweetness  seemed  to  grow  and  grow, 
And  shine  forth  in  happy  overflow 
From  the  blue,  bright  eyes. 

Down  the  dell  she  tripped,  and  through  the  glade 
Peeped  the  squirrel  from  the  hazel  shade, 

And  from  out  the  tree 

Swung,  and  leaped,  and  frolicked,  void  of  fear, 
While  bold  blackbird  piped,  that  all  might  hear, 

"  Little  Bell !  "  piped  he. 


Little  Bell  sat  down  amid  the  fern : 
"  Squirrel,  squirrel,  to  your  task  return; 
Bring  me  nuts,"  quoth  she. 


92 


LEARNING   TO   READ. 


Up,  away,  the  frisky  squirrel  hies,  — 
Golden  wood  lights  glancing  in  his  eyes,  — 

And  adown  the  tree 

Great  ripe  nuts,  kissed  brown  by  July  sun, 
In  the  little  lap  dropped,  one  by  one. 
Hark  !  how  blackbird  pipes  to  see  the  fun ! 

"  Happy  Bell  I  "  pipes  he. 


Little  Bell  looked  up  and  down  the  glade : 
"  Squirrel,  squirrel,  if  you  're  not  afraid, 

Come  and  share  with  me !  " 
Down  came  squirrel,  eager  for  his  fare,  — 
Down  came  bonny  blackbird,  I  declare  I 
Little  Bell  gave  each  his  honest  share  ; 

Ah,  the  merry  three  ! 


And  the  while  these  frolic  playmates  twain 
Piped  and  frisked  from  bough  to  bough  again, 

'Neath  the  morning  skies, 
In  the  little  childish  heart  below 
All  the  sweetness  seemed  to  grow  and  grow, 
And  shine  out  in  happy  overflow 

From  her  blue,  bright  eyes. 


By  her  snow-white  cot,  at  close  of  day, 
Knelt  sweet  Bell,  with  folded  palms,  to  pray: 

Very  calm  and  clear 

Rose  the  praying  voice,  to  where,  unseen, 
In  blue  heaven,  an  angel  shape  serene 

Paused  a\vhile  to  hear. 


ILLUSTRATIVE   LESSONS. 


93 


"What  good  child  is  this,"  the  angel  said, 
'k  That,  with  happy  heart,  beside  her  bed 

Prays  so  lovingly  ?  " 
Low  and  soft,  —  oh  !  very  low  and  soft, 
Crooned  the  blackbird  in  the  orchard  croft, 

"  Bell,  dear  Bell ! "  crooned  he. 


"  Whom  God's  creatures  love,"  the  angel  fair 
Murmured,  "  God  doth  bless  with  angels'  care ; 

Child,  thy  bed  shall  be 

Folded  safe  from  harm.     Love,  deep  and  kind, 
Shall  watch  around,  and  leave  good  gifts  behind, 

Little  Bell,  for  thee." 

THOMAS  WESTWOOD. 


The  poem  selected  for  this  lesson  is  suitable  for  use  in  third,  fourth, 
or  fifth  grades,  although  even  younger  children  enjoy  hearing  it  read. 
Such  children  would,  however,  find  difficulty  in  a  detailed  study,  such 
as  is  suggested  in  this  exercise.  The  poem  may  be  used  simply  as  a 
reading  lesson,  or  it  may  be  read,  studied,  and  memorized  by  the 
pupils  as  a  language  exercise.  The  various  advantages  of  the  study 


94  LEARNING  TO   READ. 


are  indicated  in  the  following  suggestions,  which  are  intended  to 
indicate  merely  some  of  the  different  modes  of  treatment  which  may 
be  attempted  in  language  teaching. 

The   Thought   in  the    Poem. 

As  in  all  lessons,  the  children  should  read  the  entire  poem  or  hear  it 
read  before  any  detailed  study  is  attempted.  This  is  done  in  order  that 
the  poem  may  be  presented  to  them  as  a  whole,  giving  its  thought  or 
telling  its  message.  After  such  reading,  every  stanza  and  every  word 
will  assume  its  rightful  place  in  the  description  of  the  story.  Other- 
wise, given  separately,  the  words  lose  the  meaning  which  they  are  in- 
tended to  convey.  A  poem,  like  a  picture,  should  be  presented  as  a 
whole,  and  never  dissected,  in  the  first  lesson. 

It  is  wise,  sometimes,  to  read  and  to  re-read  without  note  or 
comment ;  then  to  lay  aside  the  book  and  leave  the  children  to  recall 
the  story,  and  to  accustom  themselves  to  its  pictures.  At  the  next 
lesson,  the  teacher  may  question,  —  following  out  any  of  the  suggested 
lines  of  work. 

The  important  motive  is  to  get  the  message  which  the  author  in- 
tended to  give  us  in  the  poem.  Everything  else  must  be  subordinate 
to  this  purpose.  Any  supplementary  teaching  which  draws  the  atten- 
tion away  from  the  poem,  creating  a  separate  center  of  interest,  is 
in  excess.  All  illustration  and  explanation  should  be  intended  simply 
to  throw  light  upon  the  poem,  making  the  pictures  more  vivid  and  the 
message  more  plain. 

The  thought  in  this  poem  is  very  evident,  even  to  the  children.  In 
the  first  stanza  the  blackbird  on  the  beechwood  spray  introduces  us  to 
the  pretty  maid,  slow  wandering  his  way.  She  is  little  Bell.  Sitting 
down  beneath  the  rocks,  she  asks  the  blackbird  for  his  best  song.  The 
bonny  bird  pours  his  full  heart  out  freely,  while  in  the  little  childish 
heart  below,  all  the  sweetness  seems  to  grow  and  grow,  and  shine  forth 


ILLUSTRATIVE   LESSONS.  95 

in  happy  overflow  from  the  blue,  bright  eyes.  The  squirrel  swings  and 
leaps  and  frolics  in  the  glade,  and  at  the  child's  bidding  drops  down 
great  ripe  nuts  into  her  lap.  The  blackbird  pipes  to  see  the  fun.  The 
child  shares  her  treasures  with  the  squirrel  and  the  bird,  and  again  the 
poet  tells  us 

"  In  the  little  childish  heart  below 
All  the  sweetness  seemed  to  grow  and  grow, 
And  shine  out  in  happy  overflow 

From  her  blue,  bright  eyes." 

When,  at  close  of  day,  the  child  kneels  to  pray  beside  her  snow- 
white  cot,  an  angel  pauses  to  hear,  and  asks  what  good  child  prays 
so  lovingly  beside  her  bed.  The  blackbird  answers  from  the  orchard 
croft,  "  Bell,  dear  Bell !  "  "  Whom  God's  creatures  love,  God  doth 
bless  with  angels'  care,"  the  angel  murmured. 

• 

"  Child,  thy  bed  shall  be 

Folded  safe  from  harm.     Love,  deep  and  kind, 
Shall  watch  around,  and  leave  good  gifts  behind, 
Little  Bell,  for  thee." 

Even  the  little  children  sense  the  meaning  of  the  poem.  They  have 
already  learned  that  love  wins  love,  and  makes  friends,  and  they  feel 
it  to  be  both  natural  and  just  that  the  loving  little  Bell  shall  be  shielded 
from  all  harm,  and  sheltered  by  loving  thought.  The  older  children 
may  be  reminded  of  Sidney  Lanier's  poem,  "  How  Love  Sought  for 
Hell,"  —  failing  to  find  it  because  wherever  his  presence  came  there 
were  kindness  and  light.  The  little  ones  are  reminded  that  the  mirror 
gives  back  smile  for  smile,  and  frown  for  frown.  It  is  hardly  necessary 
to  point  the  moral  and  adorn  the  tale.  The  poet  has  repeated  in  the 
selfsame  words  the  lines  which  show  how  the  child  grew  in  sweetness 
as  she  played  so  lovingly  with  her  woodland  friends.  For  many  classes 


96  LEARNING   TO   READ. 


it  would  be  enough  to  talk  of  the  poem  until  the  children  were  pos- 
sessed of  this  thought,  or  rather  this  feeling,  and  then  leave  it  to  do 
its  own  work.  In  this  case,  however,  the  poem  serves  as  a  text  for  the 
lesson,  and  we  shall  consider  other  phases. 

PREPARATION    FOR    THE    READING. 

The  Pictures  in  the  Poem. 

The  poem  takes  us  at  once  to  the  woods  where  the  blackbird  pipes 
on  the  beechwood  spray.  We  see  the  rocks,  the  dell,  the  glade,  the 
trees,  the  hazel  shade,  and  are  made  acquainted  with  the  blackbird  and 
the  squirrel.  Plainly,  the  setting  of  the  poem  is  clearest  to  those 
children  who  themselves  have  played  in  the  woods ;  who  have  heard 
the  blackbird  sing,  and  have  seen  the  squirrel  leap  from  bough  to 
bough.  The  beechwood  spray,  the  hazel  shade,  the  dell,  the  glade,  the 
fern,  are  already  familiar  to  such  children,  and  need  no  lesson  to  intro- 
duce them.  But  if  the  tenement  house,  the  narrow  alley,  the  brick 
walls  and  the  noisy  street  have  been  the  familiar  surroundings  of  the 
children,  and  if  the  country  seems  as  far  away  to  them  as  Paradise,  the 
poem  is  written  in  a  foreign  tongue.  With  such  children,  other  lessons 
are  necessary  before  any  such  selection  is  read  or  memorized.  These 
lessons  may  not  be  given  at  the  time  of  the  reading ;  far  better  not  : 
but  they  should  precede  the  reading  in  the  teacher's  plan,  and  the  young 
reader  should  enter  upon  this  lesson  equipped  with  some  knowledge 
of  the  bird,  the  squirrel,  and  the  woods.  In  another  chapter,  something 
has  been  said  of  the  necessity  of  such  teaching,  and  of  the  way  in  which 
such  lessons  may  be  conducted.  The  suggestion  is  made  here  simply 
to  emphasize  this  truth,  —  that  observation  of  nature  is  essential  to  the 
interpretation  of  literature. 


ILLUSTRATIVE   LESSONS.  97 

The    Study   of  the    Vocabulary   of  the   Poem. 

Although  the  pupils  may  be  prepared  by  their  out-of-door  experience 
to  understand  the  poem,  nevertheless  they  will  be  met  by  a  new  diffi- 
culty in  the  reading.  The  language  of  literature  differs  from  that 
to  which  they  have  been  accustomed  in  conversation.  The  tendency 
of  our  school  readers  and  children's  books  is  often  to  remove  such 
difficulties  from  the  path  of  the  children.  The  lessons  are  expressed 
in  words  already  familiar  to  them,  and  in  colloquial  forms.  While  this 
practice  renders  the  first  lessons  in  reading  easy,  it  makes  the  entrance 
to  literature  difficult.  Many  expressions  are  entirely  foreign  to  the 
child's  ear,  and  therefore  unintelligible,  even  when  the  story  is  attrac- 
tive. The  poem  which  we  are  using  for  illustration  contains  many 
words  and  phrases  which  the  children  have  not  met  in  their  ordinary 
reading.  These  must  be  explained  and  their  meaning  made  familiar 
to  the  children.  "  4  What 's  your  name  ?  '  quoth  he ;  "  "  stop,  and 
straight  unfold;"  "  showery  curls  of  gold;"  "  gleaming  golden  locks  ;" 
"  bonny  bird ; "  "  blackbird  piped  ;  "  "  dell ;  "  "  glade  ;  "  "  hazel  shade  ;  " 
"  void  of  fear ;  "  "  hies  ;  "  "  golden  wood  lights  ;  "  "  adown  the  tree  ;  " 
"  playmates  twain  ;  "  "  an  angel  shape  ; "  "  crooned  the  blackbird  in  the 
orchard  croft"  are  some  of  these. 

It  may  not  be  necessary  nor  wise  in  most  classes  to  study  all  these 
expressions  minutely,  but  they  should  become  plain  to  the  children 
so  that  they  may  plainly  speak  the  message  of  the  poem,  and  present 
no  difficulty  if  met  elsewhere.  So  with  the  figurative  expressions: 
"  The  bird  did  pour  his  full  heart  out  freely ; "  "  the  sweetness  did 
shine  forth  in  happy  overflow ;  "  "  Thy  bed  shall  be  folded  safe  from 
harm ;  "  "  stop,  and  straight  unfold." 

There  is  no  reason  why  the  young  readers  should  not  come  to  realize 
the  picture  in  these  figurative  expressions,  to  compare  their  several 
words  with  the  figure  which  the  poet  has  used,  and  to  begin  to  sense 


98  LEARNING   TO   READ. 

the  difference  between  plain,  straightforward  speech  and  the  pictured 
verses  of  the  poet.  Such  study,  however  simple,  will  help  the  chil- 
dren to  some  appreciation  of  the  beauty  of  expression,  which  is  one 
charm  of  literature. 

From  what  has  been  said,  it  will  be  rightly  judged  that  the  poem 
affords  a  basis  of  several  lessons,  all  of  value  in  different  directions. 
It  may  not  be  wise  to  make  a  detailed  and  careful  study  of  every 
poem  which  is  read  or  memorized  by  the  children,  but  some  teaching 
in  the  lines  suggested  is  indispensable  to  intelligent  reading  on  the 
part  of  the  children.  The  phrases  which  are  so  familiar  to  us  often 
suggest  very  curious  ideas  to  the  children.  Their  peculiar  interpreta- 
tion is  shown  when  they  draw  pictures  to  represent  the  scenes  of  a 
poem  or  story.  In  a  certain  school,  the  teacher  read  a  story  to  the 
children  containing  the  expression,  "his  mother  gave  him  leave  to  go." 
The  child  drew  the  mother  in  the  act  of  presenting  a  leaf  to  the  boy. 
"  Fret-work,"  said  the  boy  who  read  "  Sir  Launfal  "  for  the  first  time, 
"  Fret-work  is  work  that  makes  you  fret ; "  while  the  child  who 
drew  the  picture  of  the  hare  and  the  tortoise  represented  a  turtle  and 
a  boy  with  bushy  hair.  Reference  has  been  made  elsewhere  to  the  kid 
on  the  roof  of  the  house  which  was  pictured  as  a  little  boy,  and  the 
writer  remembers  the  pictures  which  were  drawn  by  children  in  illus- 
tration of  the  above  poem,  representing  the  angels  with  webbed  feet.1 
These  items  are  intended  simply  to  suggest  that  the  child's  crude 
notion  is  often  very  different  from  the  meaning  which  the  word  or 
phrase  conveys  to  us.  Detailed  study  often  reveals  his  error  to  us, 
if  we  bend  a  listening  ear  to  his  question  or  comment.  We  should  be 
grateful  for  the  f  frank  question  or  the  crude  remark  which  betrays  the 
child's  mistake,  and  should  be  careful  to  secure  such  confidence  and 


1  The  illustrative  lessons  in  this  chapter  are  taken  from  "  Reading :  How  to  Teach  it,"  a 
complete  manual  prepared  by  Miss  Arnold  and  published  by  this  house. 


ILLUSTRATIVE   LESSONS.  99 


freedom  in  our  classes  as  will  enable  us  to  discover  what  the  children 
are  really  thinking. 

After  the  reading  and  discussion  of  the  poem,  the  children  may 
memorize  it.  At  this  juncture,  it  is  wise  for  the  teacher  to  read  it  to 
the  children  again  and  again,  in  order  that  they  may  get  some  notion 
of  the  proper  reading.  This  will  not  be  necessary  in  all  classes,  but 
where  the  children  are  accustomed  to  dull  or  monotonous  reading,  some 
outside  standard  is  necessary.  The  children's  recitation  will  incline  to 
adopt  the  virtues  of  the  teacher's  reading.  Let  us  not  forget  that  the 
faults  will  be  imitated,  too. 

If  after  such  study  and  such  memorizing,  the  words  of  the  poem 
appear  now  and  then  in  the  children's  conversation  or  writing,  let  us 
rejoice,  for  this  means  not  simply  that  new  words  have  been  added 
to  the  vocabulary,  but  that  the  child  has  a  new  conception  of  the  beauty 
of  thought  as  well  as  of  speech. 


Stepping    Stones    to    Literature* 

A  Unique    Series    of    Eight  School    Readers 
upon    an   entirely   New    Plan,    Brilliantly  Illus- 
trated with  Masterpieces  and  Original  Drawings. 
By  SARAH  LOUISE  ARNOLD,  Supervisor  of  Schools,  Boston,  Mass., 
and  CHARLES  B.  GILBERT,  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Newark,  N.  J. 


This  series  marks  a  new  era  in  School  Readers.  It  combines  with  the  necessary 
technique  of  reading,  a  real  course  in  literature.  It  has  the  sincere  literary  atmos- 
phere. The  early  volumes  create  the  beginnings  of  a  literary  judgment.  The 
advanced  volumes  comprehend  the  whole  range  of  the  world's  best  writing.  The 
pupil,  at  the  end  of  the  course,  knows  what  literature  means. 

In  this  achievement  these  Readers  stand  absolutely  alone.  They  justify  the 
following  deliberate  characterizations : 

They  are  the  most  interesting  Readers  ever  published. 

They  surpass  all  other  Readers  in  wise  technique. 

They  are  superlative  in  stimulating  thought  and  creating  taste. 

They  are  unequaled  in  attractiveness  of  illustration. 

They  give  a  better  idea  of  the  world's  great  literature,  and  more  of  it,  than 
can  be  found  anywhere  else  in  the  same  space. 

A  Mark  of  Their  Acceptability. 

In  their  first  year  they  were  adopted  by  Boston,  New  York,  Brooklyn,  Phila- 
delphia, Chicago,  St.  Louis,  Baltimore,  Atlanta ;  by  over  a  thousand  smaller  towns ; 
by  hundreds  of  counties ;  and  by  the  State  of  Virginia. 

Patriotism  in    These  Readers. 

The  entire  series  is  peculiarly  rich  in  selections  and  pictures  closely  connected 
with  American  history  and  American  greatness,  well  fitted  to  stimulate  love  of 
country  in  the  pupil.  The  "  Reader  for  Seventh  Grades,"  is  distinctively  and  wholly 
American,  and  its  tales,  poems,  historical  extracts,  and  illustrations  are  alive  with  a 
proud  patriotism.  Send  for  Descriptive  Circular. 

Silver,  Burdett  and  Company,   Publishers, 

New  York.  Boston.  Chicago. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

EDUCATION-PSYCHOLOGY 
LIBRARY 

TEL.  NO.  642-4209 
This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


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